Convenience store sales in Japan rose 3.7% on a year-on-year basis to a record ¥11.2 trillion in 2022, as customers returned after the government lifted COVID-19 restrictions and promoted a domestic travel subsidy program, an industry body said Friday.
The same-store sales of seven major convenience store operators grew for the second consecutive year, thanks to robust sales of boxed lunches, rice balls, frozen food products and soft drinks, according to the Japan Franchise Association.
Sales were further boosted, as buying daily necessities in bulk at one location amid concerns over the coronavirus has become a long-term trend, according to the association.
The gain in sales was also thanks to the National Travel Discount program, restarted by the government in October to help revamp domestic tourism, the association said, adding that convenience stores have developed and offered new products that have catered to the increased turnout.
In December alone, sales increased by 3.9% from the same month in 2021 to ¥1 trillion.