羅森（Lawson）便利店眼中的日本商機

羅森（Lawson）便利店眼中的日本商機

每隔兩三個街區(qū)，轉過一個街角都能看到一家便利店，這是日本獨有的風景。也正是因為如此景象，人們應該都會認為日本的便利店市場已經非常飽和了。但是近日，在中國等新興市場勢頭正旺的連鎖便利店羅森（Lawson）的高層表示，他們在看似飽和的日本市場看到了機遇。

測試中可能遇到的詞匯和知識：

saturation 飽和

shabby 破舊的

perennial 長久的、持續(xù)的

Seven & I Holdings 柒合伊控股（7-11所屬公司）

nascent 新生的

Lawson still sees big growth potential in Japan（555words）

By Robin Harding

It can feel like there is a convenience store on every street corner in Japan,but according to the head of number two operator Lawson there is still massive potential for growth.

“The first question from foreign investors is always: ‘When is the saturation point?You guys are opening up like crazy',” said Genichi Tamatsuka in an interview with the Financial Times. “‘Not yet,' I tell them,” he said.

Mr. Tamatsuka's comments are a reminder that despite Japan's difficult demographics there are still opportunities in what remains an enormous retail market.

Lawson plans to open 1,200 new stores in Japan this year on top of its existing 12,000,while closing 750,for a net increase of more than one shop a day. Mr. Tamatsuka argues that it is the very ageing and depopulation of rural Japan that creates an opening.

“There are 55,000 convenience stores in Japan,” he said. “Thirty years ago there were 1.6m retail stores in total and now there are less than 1m. If you go to the countryside,there are places where the supermarket is gone,the bookshop is gone,and the number of places to shop has really fallen.”

Meanwhile,family units are shrinking,women are working,and they are busier,said Mr. Tamatsuka. “Whereas people used to go to a big supermarket and prepare meals for a family of four or five,now they're busier,they're older,and they prefer to buy in a small neighborhood store.”

In many countries convenience stores are shabby vendors of lottery tickets and packets of cigarettes,but in Japan the “combini”,as they are known,are brightly lit,market-tested venues for a panoply of products and services. Customers can pay bills,pick up a new videogame,send a parcel or book concert tickets.

In areas where other stores are absent,Lawson can step in,said Mr. Tamatsuka. “With our scale of 12,000 stores,our supply chain and platform,we can supply food and necessities to these neighborhoods.” Convenience stores,he points out,are only 5 per cent of total retail outlets.

In taking over the top job last year,Mr. Tamatsuka was following a charismatic chief executive for the second time in his career.

In 2002,he was promoted to run Fast Retailing's Uniqlo clothing chain at the age of just 39,after successfully launching its UK operation. But in 2005,founder Tadashi Yanai pushed him aside and became chief executive again.

At Lawson he is following Takeshi Niinami,who left to run the drinks company Suntory Holdings after 12 hard-charging years in which the convenience store grew steadily but remained a perennial number two to market leader Seven & I Holdings.

Mr. Tamatsuka said there are some signs of an improvement in domestic consumption,which has lagged behind a recovery in the corporate sector,with real wages hit by last year's rise in sales tax.

“It's been a year since the consumption tax rise. From May and June it feels like there's been a small pick-up,” he said. “It's really important heading into the summer and autumn that we generate some momentum in consumption.”

International expansion is the other growth area for Lawson,which like many Japanese retailers is trying to export its level of customer service. It has 500 stores in China and nascent chains in Thailand,Indonesia and the Philippines.