In a race to see who gets to take the cake, major convenience store chains have been offering more sweet foods under their own brand names in an effort to beat traditional bakeries and dessert shops.
The companies appear eager to release cheaper and more refined products as they regard desserts, which are selling well despite the prolonged recession, as a lucrative way of attracting more women to their stores, especially those in their 20s and 30s.
"Sales of desserts still have a lot of room for growth," an official at a major chain said. The company will try to compete against specialty shops by taking advantage of its scale and offer better value at lower prices for its desserts, the official added.
Lawson Inc., which has the second-largest number of convenience stores in Japan, launched its original dessert brand Uchi Cafe Sweets in September after seeing strong sales of its dessert lines for more than three years.
The first product of the new brand, Premium Rolled-Cake, offered at ¥150 apiece, uses homegrown flour for the sponge cake and three types of cream for the filling. The cake has sold five to 10 times more than other desserts and production is currently not keeping up with demand, Lawson said.
FamilyMart Co., the third-largest convenience store chain, is offering its Sweets Plus brand, carrying a wide range of desserts that target women in their 30s. The company has seen strong sales of its W Cream Eclair, the brand's mainstay, which is also priced at ¥150.
Circle K Sunkus Co., another major convenience store chain, introduced a new bakery and dessert line under its Cherie Dolce brand this month.