TAPPING PANASONIC TECH
FamilyMart to incorporate labour-saving technologies into 24-hour stores amid labour shortage
JAPANESE convenience store chain FamilyMart says it is partnering with Panasonic Corp to incorporate a range of labour-saving technologies into its 24-hour stores, which have struggled with a shrinking workforce.
Convenience stores in Japan are grappling with the tightest labour market in more than 40 years. Amid complaints from franchise owners, 24-hour industry leader 7-Eleven recently agreed to test shorter hours at 10 of its 20,700 stores.
“We are faced with a labour shortage and the issue of 24-hour operations. There is no time to waste,” said FamilyMart president Takashi Sawada at the opening of the first store using Panasonic technology in Kanagawa, southwest of here.
The convenience store arm of retail group FamilyMart UNY Holdings said the changes would
include advanced sensors and artificial intelligence to help stores re-stock more efficiently, as well as self check-out, digital displays and price tags.
The firms did not announce terms of the deal, saying the tieup scale depended on whether the initial steps prove successful.
Rival Lawson Inc has also teamed up with Panasonic for self check-out services but such features — now common in other countries — have been slow to take off amid worries about dissatisfying customers accustomed to high levels of service.
The ubiquitous stores began expanding in the 1970s as their 24-hour format proved a perfect match with the country’s dense population and long working hours. They have become an essential part of modern Japan, offering everything from packaged “bento” lunches to automated teller machine services.
Analysts have said the market may be nearing saturation, with the total number of stores reaching roughly 58,000 last year, given the country’s decreasing population.