Could the demise of Cold Stone have been prevented in Japan if they’d done this earlier?

Cold Stone Creamery has seen a meteoric rise and fall in popularity in Japan. After opening its first Japanese branch in Tokyo’s Roppongi in 2005, the chain went on to span over two dozen locations, with lines out the door as fans came to love the novelty of singing staff. However, five years later, stores began to close, one after the other, until, in February 2023, there were only two left in the entire country.

In 2014, the company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hotland, known for its super-popular Tsukiji Gindaco takoyaki chain, but even that didn’t seem to help the ice cream brand in Japan, and its push for a comeback in 2023, when a new store opened in March in Tokyo’s Tamasakai, followed by another in Harajuku in June, failed to revive its popularity with the public.

▼ The Tamasakai branch closed in August last year.

▼ Neither of the two new stores managed to make it to their third year, as the Harajuku branch is now set to close its doors on 28 April.

These closures mean only two stores will exist in Japan, and with the Sano Premium Outlets store in Tochigi closing on 6 May, the country is set to be left with a sole remaining store, at Mitsui Outlet Park in Mie Prefecture.

Our reporter Mr Sato has long had a soft spot for Cold Stone, so he couldn’t bear to let the last branch in Tokyo disappear without paying it one final visit.

When he arrived, he saw he wasn’t the only one heading here for a farewell ice cream, with a number of people gathered out front, tucking into Cold Stone tubs. Looking at the store sign, he found that the branch was offering a Grand Finale Special Menu, starting from 1 April, with a small discount on two decadent options: the Finale Chocolate Devotion and Finale Shortcake Serenade.

▼ Usually 881 yen (US$6.17), these were now priced at 842 yen each.

Stepping into the store, Mr Sato was sad to see that all the crepes had already been discontinued, so he’d have to go all the way to Mie Prefecture if he wanted to taste one now.

This realisation left Mr Sato in need of an ice cream to lift his spirits, so he ordered a Finale Chocolate Devotion, and enjoyed the sing-song from staff as they prepared it for him one last time.

▼ Then, after receiving his order, he was handed a coupon for a half-price ice cream, valid until 28 April.

This was a bittersweet development, as Mr Sato had built up all his emotions for this being his final visit, but now it looked like he would have to make another visit and experience all those overwhelming emotions again.

As he tucked into his Finale Devotion, he found himself feeling slightly bitter about the fact that he’d never been offered this type of deal before. As he wondered whether these types of promos may have helped the chain when it was struggling, he felt a tinge of resentment at the way they were now dragging out the goodbye.

Still, these types of emotions are par for the course when it comes to the ending of love affairs, especially when you have no power to change the course of things. So he decided to look on the bright side and enjoy what would now be his second-to-last Cold Stone ice cream in Tokyo…unless they have the audacity to drag him back in with another half-price coupon upon his return.

Location information
Cold Stone Creamery Harajuku Branch / コールドストーンクリーマリー原宿店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingu-mae 6-6-6, Harajuku TS Building
東京都渋谷区神宮前6-6-6原宿TSビル
Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Website

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