Trends in Japan: conveniencestores.

While it may surprise many visitors to Japan, convenience stores are undeniably the most important points of sale in the country, attracting customers from all demographics and backgrounds.

A 2007 InfoPLANT survey of 5,305 people found that 31% visit a convenience store two to three days

Beverages, tobacco, snacks and other fast-moving consumer goods go through rapid rotations, often as short as a week, and (regardless of popularity) may never be seen again once they're gone.

A recent trend of 'nostalgia' has come up recently, with old-style beverages and snacks becoming popular on the shelf. 7/11 is currently running an "Always 7/11" campaign focusing on classic ice cream and beverages such as ramune with a simultaneous promotion giving out retro televisions and cameras.

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Aside from beverages and quick meals, convenience stores in Japan work to live up to their name and provide lifestyle conveniences. Though only about 19% of consumers use them once a month or more, electronic terminals such as FamilyMart's Famiport enable users to streamline their lives by purchasing concert tickets, doing banking, paying bills, and sending packages among a laundry list of useful services.

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Soon we'll truly be able to add laundry to the list, as growing laundry service companies compete to add convenience stores to their available drop-off points. Wash & Fold, a Shibuya-based laundry service, expects to have over 80 AM/PM stores added to its current roster of five in 2008. Using custom laundry bags, busy young businessmen and exhausted housewives can drop off their unmentionables at the stores and pick them up the next day clean, pressed, and folded.

This, of course, is just the beginning for the convenience store. After all, if we're going to start taking our laundry there, why can't they do our taxes and arrange for a housekeeper while they're at it?

Michael Keferl, Director, CScout Japan

CScout Japan is part of the global CScout research, trend scouting, and Experience Tour network, focused on all segments of the deep and rapidly changing Japanese market landscape. Their popular daily blog can be found at CScoutJapan.com.