Two Tim Tams, a new retail opening: how an existing pack found its way into Japan
Business story | A Fine Food introduction connected Arnott’s with an AEON buyer. An existing Tim Tam twin pack then became a product for a different Japanese retail route.
Editorial desk Emma
Arnott’s introduced Tim Tam twin packs in Japan in September 2026 using a format already available in Australia. Two chocolate biscuits in a pack offered a different portion and purchasing option from the familiar standard pack. The export move began with an existing product capability and a suitable new retail route rather than development from scratch.
The relationship began at Fine Food in 2025. Austrade helped introduce Arnott’s to an AEON buyer, and a factory visit followed. The buyer could move from meeting a product at an exhibition to understanding it and its supply in more detail. An event can therefore support market development beyond an immediate sale: a well-matched buyer’s interest creates a reason for the conversation to continue.
The twin pack addressed development and channel considerations together. Using an existing format reduced new-product work, while a format different from standard packs distinguished the arrangement from existing importers’ business. Packaging became a way to coordinate how the product would be sold. An available option can give a new partner a practical proposal that already fits the brand’s supply capability.
The product reached selected Maruetsu, Kasumi, Inageya and AEON Food Style stores. Named retail settings give packaging, presentation and supply discussions a concrete destination. The work extends beyond the item itself to where customers will encounter it, the occasion they may buy it for and how the retailer places it among existing choices.
An export proposal can begin by treating the product range as a set of possible combinations. Select a format that can already be supplied consistently, explain its purchasing occasion and discuss store type, presentation and supply with the buyer. A different portion or combination, matched with a buyer willing to understand it, can give an existing product another opportunity to be seen.
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Some images in this article are generated illustrations.