Convenience store operator FamilyMart and discount store chain Don Quijote opened two jointly run experimental stores in Tokyo on Friday, exploring ways to learn from each other's marketing and operational know-how.
FamilyMart, the country's second-biggest convenience store operator, aims to attract more female and younger customers with items from Don Quijote, which has become popular in urban areas partly thanks to its unusual approach to displaying goods.
Don Quijote stores are known for piling up numerous items on the floor and shelves, with the whole shop looking like a huge maze. This style has attracted many young customers, which is the reason that FamilyMart UNY Holdings Co. opened the joint stores in Tokyo's Meguro Ward and the city of Tachikawa, located west of the metropolis. Another store is set to open later this month in Setagaya Ward.