his name is hiroshi takabashi. on this day he's visiting an elderly customer who bought a new blu-ray recorder. he's offered to hook it up to her tv set. takabashi takes the type to sip a glass of tea. then he's off to his next mission. he offers follow-up checks on all the items that he sells for free. that's helping him attract customers. >> translator: he offers to take care of the products even after they're sold. i like that. chain retailers don't offer that kind of service. >> reporter: neighborhood stores are also trying to become more price competitive. managers of small shops have long faced the difficulty of making their products cheaper. now 870 independent retailers mainly in western japan have teamed up to solve the problem. each store used to buy goods from suppliers on its own. but the new collective allows them to make lump sum purchases from manufacturers. that helps them cut prices. >> translator: neighborhood shops provide excellent service, but their prices are high. chain retailers have low pri