FamilyMart is betting that data, not sandwiches, will drive its next wave of growth. Its “FM²” strategy fuses a saturated store network with “FamilyMedia Vision” (FMV), a data-rich layer built on 30 million registered FamiPay users and 55 million registered Life-Live IDs, covering well over half of Japan’s adults. By mining this daily purchasing data,…
Itochu Corporation’s decision to absorb Itochu Shokuhin for 78.4 billion JPY is less a family reunion than a bet on control in a squeezed wholesale market. By lifting its stake from 52.46% to 100% through a tender offer at 13,000 JPY per share, Itochu is trading stock-market scrutiny for speed. Once delisted, Itochu Shokuhin can…
Aeon‘s TopValu brand has found new success amid inflation concerns. Sales for the range are expected to reach about 1.2 trillion JPY in FY2025, up 11% year-on-year, with the cheapest sub-range, the “Best Price” line, leading growth as households trade down. Although many households are loyal to established brands, shoppers at Aeon are increasingly trading…
Trial Holdings and Seiyu are further pushing private-label groceries as a strategic weapon rather than mere margin enhancers. The company’s nationwide “PB Festival”, running from 16 February to 1 March, bundled Trial prices, expanded shelf space and in‑store tastings for around 30 products from Seiyu’s Minasama no Osumitsuki range, including retort curries, cup noodles and…
Japan’s online market for pet products is forecast to reach JPY 438.8 billion by 2030, up 28.4% from 2024. This underscores the intertwining of pet ownership and digital shopping. A survey by Fuji Keizai estimates sales of JPY 361.2 billion in 2025, with large platforms such as Amazon and Rakuten Ichiba capturing just under 80%…
Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPI), owner of Don Quijote and Uny, reported record interim sales of JPY 1.21 trillion and double‑digit growth in net profit at its latest results announcements. Yet operating profits in the core discount format disappointed, squeezed by higher taxes even as inbound duty‑free sales surged. Management’s answer is experimentation, trialling a…
FamilyMart is recasting itself as a data-rich media network, not just a convenience store chain. FamilyMart now has access to purchase data from 23 million daily shoppers, plus a further 30 million IDs from its data partners. It aims to almost triple digital advertising revenues to JPY 40 billion by FY2030, leveraging its FamiPay app and in-store…
Japanese convenience-store chain FamilyMart has deployed “Coaching HQ“, a budget training scheme costing just JPY 50,000 per firm, to cultivate initiative amongst its earnest but passive workforce. The programme offers some 20 modules tailored to corporate needs. Early results proved encouraging: engagement scores surged in two regions where managers completed the course. The experiment reflects…
In a sign of Japan’s deepening fusion of retail and technology, Lawson KDDI have opened a new store inside the KDDI Shinjuku Building in Tokyo. This “Real×Tech LAWSON” outlet allows office workers to complete purchases via a smartphone app in just 2.5 minutes – no tills, no queues. Open 24 hours, it caters to the…
