Yoshihiro Hara

Mar 4, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Yoshihiro Hara |Tomoya Onishi

TOKYO -- Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart and its partner in China are ending their battle in favor of forging a new strategy together as competition heats up with homegrown rivals. FamilyMart said Monday it has reached an agreement with Taiwan's Ting Hsin International Group to reorganize their joint venture in China.

Nov 17, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Yoshihiro Hara

TOKYO -- Japanese convenience store leader 7-Eleven is rolling out machines that brew tea on demand, hoping to repeat the success of its in-store coffee, Nikkei has learned. The machines have debuted at several 7-Elevens in the Tokyo and other cities on a trial basis.

Nov 4, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Yoshihiro Hara

TOKYO -- Seven-Eleven Japan, operator of the country's biggest convenience store chain, will start employing generative artificial intelligence for more efficient product planning, thereby taking a new approach in the retail sector where such technology has been mainly used to sell products. From the spring of 2024, the company will use AI to generate texts and images for new products based on analysis of store sales data and consumer feedback through social media.

Aug 30, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Yoshihiro Hara

TOKYO -- Japanese retailer Seven & i Holdings will forgive around 90 billion yen ($617 million) of the roughly 160 billion yen it has lent to Sogo & Seibu, a department store unit slated for sale to U.S. investment fund Fortress Investment Group. Seven & i is set to vote on Sogo & Seibu's sale at an extraordinary board meeting on Thursday. The deal is valued around 220 billion yen, 30 billion yen less than it was originally.

Aug 10, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Yoshihiro Hara

TOKYO -- Convenience store chain Lawson has become the first retailer in Japan to offer home deliveries using Uber Eats in every region of the country. Lawson added the Uber Eats delivery option at two stores in the Okinawan city of Naha last week. It now offers the service at more than 4,000 locations in all 47 of Japan's prefectures.