Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Dec 26, 2020
Have a sweet, strawberry end to 2020
by Patrick St. Michel
Need an alternative to the typical Christmas cake? Give these two colorful convenience store desserts a try.
Business / Corporate Dec 16, 2020
Lawson to close 85 stores nationwide over New Year's holidays
In a rare move, the convenience store operator will allow franchise owners to shut stores for several days between Dec. 30 and Jan. 3.
Business Dec 8, 2020
Toyota and convenience stores to test fuel-cell delivery trucks in Japan
Seven-Eleven Japan, FamilyMart and Lawson will use light-duty trucks with a maximum payload of 3 tons being developed by Toyota and its subsidiary Hino Motors.
Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Oct 31, 2020
These convenience store snacks are here to ‘slay’
by Patrick St. Michel
Head to Lawson and you’ll find a range of limited-edition snacks tied to the recent record-breaking movie, “Demon Slayer.”
Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Sep 19, 2020
Seven-Eleven’s new muffin sandwich experiment is a dense, doughy eat
by Patrick St. Michel
Debating if you should try one of Seven-Eleven’s muffin sandwiches? Take our word for it and just stick to the iconic, triangle-cut sandwich.
Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Sep 5, 2020
If you can’t decide between sweet or savory, why not get both to go?
by Patrick St. Michel
Lawson has gone cup crazy with new Cupke desserts and skewers in portable packaging.
Business / Corporate Sep 3, 2020
Japan's convenience stores are told to stop pushing 24-hour schedules
by Ben Dooley and Hisako Ueno
The firms' business models have been criticized for putting profit ahead of the needs of franchise owners.
Business Aug 5, 2020
More Japan convenience store customers skipping plastic bags to save a few yen
Over 70 percent of shoppers at outlets of three major Japanese convenience store operators declined to pay for plastic shopping bags in July, according to data from the companies. Since July 1, all retailers across the country have been obliged to charge for disposable plastic ...
Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Jul 11, 2020
Losing its cool? Korean-style cheese dogs hit Lawson shelves
by Patrick St. Michel
Lawson has been selling its own take on the popular Korean street food as part of the "Nice Cheese Grand Prix" campaign.
Business / Corporate Jun 25, 2020
Lawson to kick off self-checkout reward campaign to curb virus spread
by Dina Kartit
As the coronavirus continues to spread, the convenience store chain is aiming to reduce face-to-face contact between staff and customers.
National / Media | Japan Pulse Jun 20, 2020
Lawson finds itself lampooned for rebranding design effort
by Patrick St. Michel
Most complaints have centered around the minimal information that is included on the packaging.
Food & Drink | KONBINI WATCH Jun 13, 2020
Decadence is the name of the game for the newest crop of konbini sweets
by Patrick St. Michel
We all deserve to treat ourselves sometimes. So why not try one (or all) of the indulgent convenience store desserts that debuted this past week.