Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
Major convenience store chains in Japan are stepping up their product offerings in the apparel sector. With customer traffic stagnating due to high prices, they aim to attract young people who rarely visit convenience stores by partnering with various brands. Apparel brands hope to raise their profile by selling their products in convenience stores.
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. on Tuesday announced that starting on Sept. 25, it will begin selling items from popular brands "niko and ..." and "Lowrys Farm" at 7-Eleven stores. The two are owned by major apparel company "and ST Co." based in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. The company will launch 23 items nationwide that are 7-Eleven-exclusive, including scarves, scrunchies and T-shirts.
For 7-Eleven, which has seen customer numbers stagnate amid rising prices, attracting younger customers is an urgent priority. In fiscal 2025, approximately 40% of store visitors were aged 50 or older, while those under 30 accounted for less than 20%. By partnering with and ST -- which owns brands popular among young people -- Seven-Eleven Japan plans to tap into new customer segments and increase its store visitors as well as its apparel sales.
"Appealing to younger consumers is essential for securing our future core customer base," Junko Watanabe, senior merchandiser at Seven-Eleven Japan's merchandising division, said at a briefing in Tokyo on the day. "We want to offer a fun shopping experience (through the launch of these limited-edition products)."
Historically, clothing sold at convenience stores has mostly consisted of practical garments such as underwear and socks for when a sudden change of clothes is needed -- such as getting wet in the rain.
It was FamilyMart Co. that added a "fashionable" element to convenience store clothing.
In March 2021, FamilyMart began nationwide sales of its own brand, "Convenience Wear," which emphasizes design. Colorful striped socks and Imabari hand towels became popular, and in July this year, the company began selling dresses and jackets at its flagship store in the Azabudai area in Tokyo. Starting next February, it will also carry pet clothing.
Sales in the apparel business have been growing at a rate of at least 30% annually, and sales revenue for fiscal 2025 exceeded 20 billion yen. "Convenience Wear has become a differentiating factor -- people go to FamilyMart stores specifically because of it," said a spokesperson of the company.
Lawson Inc. began full-scale sales of clothing from the lifestyle goods retailer Muji in 2022. Starting in 2024, it launched original products -- such as socks and handkerchiefs -- developed in collaboration with Muji. At some of its stores, the company has also started selling items developed in partnership with the children's clothing brand "petit main." Since expanding its apparel section in April, sales have reportedly been strong, rising by about 30% compared to the same period last year.
However, some observers believe that profit growth in the apparel sector will be limited. This is because the sales floor space of convenience stores is smaller than that of specialty stores and responding to changing fashion trends requires significant efforts.
"Compared to food, the frequency of clothing purchases is not as high," said Naoko Kuga, a senior researcher at the NLI Research Institute. "A location strategy that attracts young people and a carefully curated product lineup will be necessary," she added.
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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.
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