"Attracting Young Female Customers"... Intensified Competition Among Japanese Convenience Stores, Now Even Selling This

'Nikoand' Products Now Available at Seven-Eleven
Fitting Room Convenience Store Opens in Tokyo

Major convenience store chains in Japan are focusing on clothing sales by increasing the variety of apparel items sold in their stores.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Pexels

According to the Tokyo Shimbun on September 30, most of the clothing items originally sold at convenience stores were targeted at "emergency needs," such as socks and underwear. However, in recent years, convenience store chains have been making significant efforts to boost apparel sales.

Earlier this month, Seven-Eleven announced a collaboration with apparel company Niko Esty to sell products from the fashion brand 'Nikoand.' The company's goal is to double its clothing sales by increasing the number of apparel items sold at convenience store locations.

A Seven-Eleven official said, "Although the main customer base for convenience stores is people in their 40s and 50s, popular clothing brands are aimed at younger female customers. It could also lead to purchases of other products, making it a way to enhance the value offered to customers who visit the store."

Clothing brand 'Niko and'. Screenshot of the Niko and website

Seven-Eleven’s efforts in this area are considered to have started later compared to other chains such as FamilyMart and Lawson.

In 2021, FamilyMart began selling T-shirts, sportswear, and even socks in the company’s signature colors under the name "convenience wear," featuring in-house designs.

After receiving a positive response nationwide, FamilyMart opened a store in downtown Tokyo this July with a fitting room so that customers could try on clothes before purchasing.

Since 2022, Lawson has been selling MUJI products at stores across the country.

The reason convenience store chains are placing a strong emphasis on apparel sales is that the convenience store market in Japan has reached a saturation point, intensifying competition and prompting this strategy.

The number of convenience stores across Japan has stagnated at around 50,000 locations. As a result, the industry is expanding services such as public utility bill payments and even handling luggage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.