Discount-store chain operator Trial Holdings is mounting a challenge to Japan’s convenience store giants, betting that compact, low-cost outlets operating around the clock can attract shoppers in the country’s densely populated capital.
The Fukuoka-based retailer, which acquired supermarket chain Seiyu for ¥380 billion ($2.5 billion) from KKR & Co., Walmart and Rakuten Group earlier this year, opened its first Trial Go store in Tokyo on Friday, with more outlets planned, according to a statement.
The new outlet resembles Aeon’s My Basket chain — often dubbed a convenience-store killer with wider product range and lower prices — and targets price-sensitive shoppers with a streamlined selection of high-turnover essentials and private-label goods. Its prices are well below those of competitors, thanks to technology and minimal staffing.
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