Convenience stores are a neat and functional retail institution in Japan, where customers can access the daily essentials
, from buying breakfast to paying bills
But the konbini experience is about far more than a lunchtime onigiri, an afterwork beer or a bar of chocolate to banish the late-night munchies.This week I took up the relatively simple challenge of buying breakfast, lunch and dinner – and a nightcap – exclusively from konbini, as well as completing a couple of admin tasks. At my local 7-Eleven I bought a cup of hot coffee, a slice of french toast and a bag of sliced apple for breakfast, withdrew cash and paid an electricity bill.
The humble konbini has also become a destination for tourists, and not just for those determined to get the perfect shot ofemerging behind a branch of Lawson. It is not unusual to spot visitors pointing their smartphones at shelves lined with colourful bowls of instant noodles andThe march of the konbini has gone beyond Japan’s shores.
Taya, a daily konbini shopper whose obsession began when he worked at the headquarters of Lawson and 7-Eleven, said stores were trying hard to differentiate themselves in a near-saturated market. That means innovation, and more products. FamilyMart’s Convenience Wear clothing line has exploded in popularity since it was introduced in 2021, with its Famimā green-and-blue striped socks worn by the former SMAP member Takuya Kimura.The chain had sold more than 20m pairs of socks as of the end of May this year, bringing in an extra 10bn yen.
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