Episode 249: I'm With The Brand (in Japan), part seven

This episode is part seven in an ongoing series about brands and how they influence our identities and drive consumerism. In this episode, recorded in Kyoto, Japan, we'll unpack how the importance of IRL shopping in Japan impacts the ways brands build emotional connections with customers: * How nature creates the ultimate "Call To Action" for food shopping (and how the US has made most food non-seasonal), * How Trader Joe's has built an intensely loyal customer base, * Examples of the "collab madness" happening in Japan right now, * Why many big brands in Japan includes cafes and other experiences in their stores, * And how and why western brands are so popular in Japan. ALSO: Listen to Amanda on Embodied by WUNC North Carolina Public Radio! ( https://www.wunc.org/show/embodied/2025-11-21/fast-fashion-brand-branding-shopping ) Additional reading: "A Century of Produce: The First-Aisle Department," ( https://www.thepacker.com/news/industry/century-produce-first-aisle-department ) The Packer. "We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s," ( https://tastecooking.com/we-need-to-talk-about-trader-joes/?fbclid=IwAR1e4T_qxoJaMMOJQnidu8ONYNTSmHbgMRMMY-EDGdIaCNXxnwDeer3GEz4 )Adam Reiner, Taste. Get your Clotheshorse merch here: https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/ ( https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/ ) If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording: amanda@clothe