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Monday, 28th November 2016
In General Japan News,
Reindeer to deliver pizza in Japan this festive season
Everybody knows that reindeer help to bring presents during the festive period, but in Japan, they are being trained to deliver much more.
The Domino’s pizza chain is training the species to take orders to customers throughout December and offer some Christmas cheer.
Despite the obvious marketing potential for Domino’s Japan, the move also has practical benefits, as reindeer are better at travelling through snowy conditions than motorbikes.
Winters can be incredibly cold and treacherous in parts of Japan, which led Domino’s to issue a statement saying: "Because it's possible that [snowfall could] hinder the delivery, Domino's Japan will promote the pizza delivery by reindeer."
Customers awaiting their pizza will be able to see the reindeer’s progress via the company’s GPS Driver Tracker, which relays the activity of delivery personnel in real time.
Instead of the usual icon to represent delivery drivers on the map, the app will show reindeer faces moving about, helping to build the anticipation for the arrival of the pizza.
Training of the reindeer is taking place at present in the city of Ishikari in Hokkaido, in northern Japan, with professional animal handlers leading the sessions on the grounds of a driving school.
If the trials go well, the reindeer-pulled sleighs are expected to be rolled out to the pizza-loving public across Japan in the run-up to Christmas.
Domino’s is the second biggest pizza company in the world and is not shy to experiment with its delivery methods, as Digital Trends pointed out.
It reported that back in March the organisation set about testing the efficiency of using drones to deliver its meals, offering a glance into the future.
For now though, customers in Japan should be sure to have carrots ready to tip the creatures bringing their dinner to the door.
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