Articles

Anello's Business Transformation: A Shift to a BtoC Strategy Through Scene-Specific Product Lines

2026.06.05

The bag brand anello, famous for its iconic clasp-opening backpacks, is embarking on a massive rebranding effort to mark its 20th anniversary. The company is making a major pivot from the B2B-centric business model that has been the core of its operations to a B2C approach. In line with this shift, they have begun rolling out products under a new concept called "SCENE ASSIST," designed for specific life scenarios.

We sat down with Yui Sumiya from Carrot Co., Ltd. to discuss the story behind this brand overhaul and the development of the new series.

PROFILE

Yui Sumiya

Head of Marketing and Creative, Carrot Co., Ltd.
At Carrot Co., Ltd., she oversees branding strategies for multiple brands, including anello, LegatoLargo, untule, and fulcro, driving growth in both e-commerce and physical retail. Balancing market-based decisions and creative direction, she aims for branding that is both commercially successful and authentic to the brand's identity. She is dedicated to rebuilding each brand's value from a company-wide perspective. She has held her current position since 2024.

The Challenges of a Wholesale-Centric Model

anello gained widespread recognition for its iconic clasp-opening backpack, attracting a large customer base both in Japan and overseas. However, its growth was fueled by a B2B business model that made up over 90% of sales. Instead of targeted marketing and promotions, the brand created customer touchpoints by securing shelf space in a wide array of wholesale stores at home and abroad, rather than operating its own direct stores.

But according to Sumiya, the more this model succeeded, the more challenges it created for the brand.

"When your business is primarily wholesale, you can't control the atmosphere, presentation, or sales methods in stores, including visual merchandising. We had a growing sense of crisis that this was leading to a free-for-all with our brand image, gradually eroding its appeal and value."

This feeling was confirmed by a large-scale brand survey conducted in 2024. The results revealed a significant gap in purchase intent between customers who saw products in anello's direct stores versus those who saw them at wholesale partners. The same disparity was found in online sales.

This reality, coupled with a rise in negative chatter on social media that was already known within the company, became the catalyst driving anello toward a major transformation.

Even the 'CROSS BOTTLE' clasp-opening backpack (right), a signature anello item, has been updated with a more refined design.

Adopting a Market-In Mindset

In response to the survey results, anello made its biggest decision yet: to shift its business model from B2B to B2C. This wasn't just a change in sales channels; it was a chance to pivot from a producer-led, 'product-in' philosophy to a customer-demand-driven, 'market-in' approach.

While the brand had previously appealed to a wide age range, it had never actively targeted a specific demographic. The new strategy sets its initial sights on a younger generation in their 20s and 30s with an interest in fashion, with plans to gradually expand awareness to more indifferent audiences.

What's noteworthy is the redefinition of anello's market positioning. In recent years, major companies have emerged as new competitors by offering low-cost, high-quality bags in the same price bracket. However, anello isn't trying to engage in a price war or suddenly transform into a luxury brand. It has kept price increases minimal, maintaining an accessible price point that existing customers can still afford.

Building on this, the brand has adopted a concept that closely follows customers' real-life scenarios. By reassessing the functions needed for specific situations like parenting, business, or travel, and 'assisting' the user's next move, anello has solidified its unique value proposition within its price range.

Five New Lines Emerge to 'Assist' Your Life's Scenes

The 'SCENE ASSIST' concept: designed to fit into people's lives.

The concept put forward to embody this market-in thinking is 'SCENE ASSIST.' This idea is all about assisting users in their daily lives by re-examining their various life scenarios and meeting the needs for features that would make them think, 'I wish I had this.'

To do this, anello established five new lines within the brand: NATIVE, which brings together standard items like the classic clasp-opening backpacks; FIT, for everyday use; CONVERT, for business and school; mate, for parenting; and EXPAND, which specializes in travel.

By clearly defining the concept, the items are designed to fit perfectly into users' lives.

Notably, the brand made a bold move to deliberately scale back the product line featuring its signature clasp-frame backpack and introduce new lines without the iconic frame.

This strategic shift allows each line to cultivate its own distinct identity, differentiating them to the point where they feel like separate brands. These five categories are designed to cover all the scenarios where people use bags for a specific purpose. Kadoya analyzes that any needs beyond these fall into the territory of luxury brands.

Designing the EXPAND Series to Meet Diverse Travel Needs

In particular, developing the travel-focused EXPAND series demanded a delicate balance between price and function. A great travel bag needs to be water-repellent, durable, and lightweight.

The EXPAND series features a lightweight, travel-focused design with an emphasis on water resistance.

However, to uphold the brand's core strength of affordability, they couldn't endlessly use expensive, high-performance materials. The main challenge was securing essential features while working within a tight budget.

A primary focus during development was the weight of the bag itself.

"For bags priced under 10,000 yen, weight is a huge factor that can deter customers. Even if a bag has great features, if it feels even slightly heavy when someone picks it up in a store, they'll likely move on. Making the bags as light as possible was essential to ensure they felt effortless for everyday use."

Born from this process of trial and error, the EXPAND series was launched with several models designed to meet the more specific, nuanced needs of customers within the broader travel category.

These include the "SEEK," featuring a water-repellent, gender-neutral design; the "EXPAND 5," packed with features convenient for both travel and business; the "GUIDE," the series' lightest model, perfect for daily use; and the "JASPER," created for short one- or two-night trips without a carry-on suitcase.

The "JASPER," born from the rebranding, is poised to set a new standard for travel bags.

Championing a gender-neutral approach, anello forgoes the simplicity of one-size-fits-all inventory management. Instead, it offers a detailed range of sizes like S, M, and L. Furthermore, they've integrated adjustable components for shoulder strap length and handle size, creating a design that comfortably fits customers of all body types, regardless of gender.

Visual differentiation between the lines is also a key strategy. For instance, while the "MATE" line, aimed at parents, uses muted, nuanced colors to create a soft, gentle feel, the "EXPAND" series features bold, edgy color palettes and distinctive hardware. This helps organize the product lineup so customers can easily select a bag based on their specific needs and tastes, even when browsing items within the same price bracket.

The "POMY" from the mate line offers a soft impression with just the right amount of structure, available in trendy two-tone colorways.

The "JASPER" is also available in vibrant, pop colors, boosting its appeal as a fashion statement piece.

A New Future Shaped by Global Markets and Direct Retail

Anello's strategy extends far beyond Japan's borders. With two directly-managed stores currently in Osaka, the brand has also carved out a unique position in the international market. It reportedly enjoyed immense popularity in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, boasting over 100 stores at its peak.

Overseas, the bags are priced higher than in Japan and are perceived as somewhat premium, functional bags. The desired features also vary by region. For international travelers, the inclusion of a security pocket can often be the deal-breaker.

Furthermore, the product lineup is tailored to local tastes, reflecting factors like the high demand for water-resistant and waterproof materials in Southeast Asia's climate and a regional preference for brighter colors.

Designs and colors are created to be versatile for various occasions, both at home and abroad.

Even at its domestic retail stores, over 70% of customers are now international tourists. This high level of inbound demand underscores the brand's global appeal. The company is now eyeing expansion into locations with heavy tourist traffic, like Tokyo.

Twenty years since its founding, anello is shifting its strategy from relying on wholesale distribution to taking control of its own brand value and building a direct-to-consumer relationship. It is evolving from a brand that simply sells bags into one that supports the entire user journey, from travel to daily commutes. Anello is in the process of redefining its very identity.