Convenience store sales rose 0.4 percent to a record level last year as the government's measures to spur consumer spending helped offset the impact of the consumption tax hike. Sales on a same-store basis increased for the second straight year to ¥10.34 trillion ($93.84 billion) ...
Seven-Eleven Japan seeks court injunction against disgruntled ex-franchisee in Osaka
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. has sought a court injunction against the former owner of an outlet with which the company terminated its franchise contract late last year, it was learned Wednesday. The petition was filed with the Osaka District Court on Monday, company sources said. The move ...
Seven-Eleven Japan's termination of contract seen as move to expel Higashiosaka owner
The store owner made headlines earlier this year for halting round-the-clock operations because he couldn’t find anyone willing to work late hours.
Lawson to allow New Year's store closures in Japan on trial basis
Lawson Inc. plans to allow some outlets to close during the New Year's holiday period on a trial basis, said Sadanobu Takemasu, president and chief executive officer of the convenience store chain, in a recent interview. Between Tuesday and Thursday, 102 stores across 25 prefectures ...
With image at stake, Seven-Eleven cautious about store closures
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. is cautious about allowing its franchise convenience stores to close, its president, Fumihiko Nagamatsu, indicated in a recent interview. "If some stores are closed, customers will be worried about whether others are open or not," Nagamatsu said. "Maintaining an image that Seven-Eleven ...
METI panel calls for flexible hours at Japan's convenience stores
A panel of experts under the industry ministry published a draft report Monday recommending that major convenience store chains allow stores to have flexible operations amid a severe labor shortage. The draft report said major chains should review their around-the-clock operations due to a changing ...
Osaka 7-Eleven behind round-the-clock operations spat warned over customer complaints
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. on Friday warned a convenience store in Osaka Prefecture that its franchise contract will be terminated unless it improves customer service. The store in Higashiosaka made headlines in February for halting late-night and early-morning operations over staffing shortages without permission from Seven-Eleven's ...
Carrier KDDI and convenience store Lawson to tie up on mobile payments
Mobile phone carrier KDDI Corp. and convenience store operator Lawson Inc. will tie up on smartphone payments and combine their customer loyalty point programs to strengthen competitiveness against rivals, the two companies announced Monday. KDDI, which operates the au Wallet point service for its customers, ...
Seven-Eleven Japan failed to pay at least ¥490 million in overtime over several decades
A long-running error in the Seven & I Holdings Co. unit’s calculations for such workers led to the shortfall for payments to part-time staff, sources said.
JR East's new Takanawa Gateway Station to feature robot guide and unstaffed convenience store
East Japan Railway Co. said Tuesday a robotic guide utilizing artificial intelligence and an unstaffed convenience store will feature at a new station slated to open in Tokyo in April 2020. JR East hopes to make Takanawa Gateway Station on the Yamanote Line a model ...
2010s: The decade Japanese food took over the world
Japanese food experienced an international boom in the 2010s, and now you can find everything from ramen to egg sandwiches across the globe.
FamilyMart to allow shorter operating hours at stores across Japan
Convenience store operator FamilyMart Co. has said it will allow its franchise owners across Japan to shorten operating hours from March, in a bid to address a severe labor shortage during late-night hours. Under the new policy, which will cover nearly 16,000 stores, franchise owners ...
