Yakult lady

A Yakult lady (ヤクルトレディー; Yakuruto redi-), also known as an Yakult auntie (ヤクルトおばさん; Yakuruto obasan),^[1] is a woman who sells Yakult products as an employee or delivers the products door to door^[2] to individuals at their homes. In order to promote good health, they sell and market Yakult products while riding bicycles, motorcycles, or other automobiles. They wear the company's uniform, including a hat and a pair of gloves.^[3] Men such as Kazuhisa Ishii have also worked as Yakult "ladies". The Yakult lady home delivery system was introduced in 1963^[4] while the Yakult Lady System started in 1981.^[5]

A Yakult lady in Japan

There have been many cases in which a Yakult lady's social standing has become more like that of an entrepreneur than that of a part-time worker. They are fairly similar to retail stores licensed to sell the products by Yakult themselves. Yakult is sold in 31 countries around the world, but Yakult ladies only sell and distribute in Asian countries such as China, India, the Philippines and Indonesia as well as Central and South American countries such as Brazil.

Although Yakult is sold in Western countries, Yakult ladies do not operate there. A trial of the system was introduced to Australia in 1994 but it was eventually disbanded.^[6]

See also

• Milk delivery
• Dabbawala

References

1. Mitsui, Izumi (2019). Cultural Translation of Management Philosophy in Asian Companies: Its Emergence, Transmission, and Diffusion in the Global Era. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-981-15-0241-5. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
2. Tokyo Business Today. Toyo Keizai Shinposha (The Oriental Economist). 1992. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
3. Trompenaars, Fons; Woolliams, Peter (2004). Marketing Across Cultures. Wiley. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-84112-471-1. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
4. Ryall, Julian (10 November 2018). "How a Japanese health drink conquered world with bacteria and beaming ladies". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
5. "History | Yakult Philippines Incorporated". www.yakult.com.ph. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
6. Sams, Lauren (29 July 2016). "Yakult ladies: the Avon ladies of Japanese fermented milk drinks". SBS. Retrieved 5 March 2020.

External links

• 堅調ヤクルトレディー　地域密着、不況知らず