From Socks To Sushi Rolls – Japan’s Superior Convenience Stores
In Japan, convenience stores – called konbinis – can be found around every corner.
In fact, over 55 000 konbinis are spread over the island, with over a third being operated by 7-Eleven. Though it started in Texas in the 1920s, 7-Eleven has been controlled by a Japanese company since 1991 and became an integral part of Japanese life. With that being said, Japan's omnipresent convenience stores have little in common with their western counterparts.
The main reason for the superiority of konbinis is the fact that they elevate the mere notion of convenience. You could also say these convenience stores are Japanese customer service par excellence. For example, 7-Eleven's business strategy takes all kinds of customer information from each area into account to match supply to demand almost perfectly.
In addition, each store receives between two to five food deliveries each day from local distributors to keep ways short and beverages fresh. By comparison, stores in the US operate fundamentally differently, resulting from varying requirements; whereas in Japan, due to high population density, stores cater to customers at walking distance while stores in other countries are designed for customers with cars.
But naturally, there is always the flip side of the coin. Fresh items, such as some ready-to-eat meals, with expiration hours that aren't sold quickly enough are thrown out. As a result, konbinis account for part of an estimated 640,000 tons of food wasted annually in Japan.
Also, the customer service taken to extremes (e.g., apples peeled and cut wrapped in plastic) leads to problems such as an enormous amount of plastic waste. Speaking of convenience, the 24/7 365 days a year operating hours meet protests from some of the franchise's store owners, who can't find enough workers in Japan's declining workforce.
Nevertheless, Japan's konbinis will remain as the refined versions of their western sister stores. Where else can you find men's underwear, baseball tickets, and tuna mayo onigiri while paying your health insurance fees?
