Mainichi: Japan Convenience Store Sales:

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200324/p2g/00m/0bu/020000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Sales at convenience stores in Japan rose 2.6 percent in February from a year earlier as prepared food and anti-infection products such as masks drew strong demand amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus, an industry group said Monday.

Comments and Ideas:

As expected those products would see an increase in sales. Especially prepared food as maybe people, returning home from work, wanted to avoid busy department store supermarkets or other busy supermarkets.

Whenever I would be in Yokohama, at Yokohama station, for example, the Sogo department store and supermarket was always very busy, even having to walk single file through it.

Recently Sogo closed for a few days related to social distancing etc.

And the supermarket in the station area too is/was always busy so maybe people/customers are avoiding shopping at crowded places.

Article:

Same-store sales of seven major convenience store operators totaled 802.68 billion yen ($7.3 billion) in the reporting month, marking the second straight year-on-year increase, the Japan Franchise Association said.

Comments and Ideas:

Most conbinis or convenience stores in Japan, at least in the major metro areas seem to be doing very well. But in the rural areas, as has been reported recently, with the problems with 24 hour service and some conbini stores needing to close at some hours because of a shortage or workers, maybe they are not doing so well.

Article:

The number of customers increased for the first time in five months to 1.26 billion, up 2.3 percent, as many people had stayed home longer to curb a further spread of the pneumonia-causing virus, it said.

The association also attributed the overall sales increase to being a leap year.

Average spending per customer rose 0.3 percent to 638.5 yen, up for the fifth consecutive month.

Comments and Ideas:

Yes maybe the virus situation has been an incentive to avoid regular supermarkets and maybe just get what you need in a conbini and not more than that. The increase in average spending up about 0.3 percent could be related to a lot of things, but going to a conbini to avoid regular supermarkets is a good reason for the increase.

Everyone have a nice day and be safe out there!

© 2020, Tom Metts, all rights reserved