23:45 on January 20 due to intensified competition and labor shortage
The number of convenience stores in Japan at the end of last year decreased by more than 100 stores compared to the previous year due to intensifying competition between stores and a shortage of workers, and it decreased for the first time in 2005 when statistics were released in the current form Turned.
According to the Japan Franchise Association, the number of convenience stores in Japan at the end of last year was 55,620, a decrease of 123, or 0.2%, from the previous year.
This is the first time a convenience store has fewer stores at the end of the year than in the previous year since it began publishing statistics in 2005.
On the other hand, last year's sales reached a record high of 11.16 trillion yen, an increase of 1.7% from the previous year, with a return of points for cashless payments introduced along with the increase in the consumption tax rate. .
Major convenience stores have increased the number of stores and expanded the profitability of the entire chain with a strategy of intensively opening stores in certain areas on a 24-hour basis in principle, but the number of stores exceeded 55,000 stores nationwide As competition between stores has intensified and the shortage of workers has made it difficult to secure employees, each company has been trying to change business models by curbing new store openings and reviewing business hours. Is.