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Tag: FamilyMart

  • FamilyMart Taiwan starting delivery service with Foodpanda

    FamilyMart Taiwan starting delivery service with Foodpanda

    FamilyMart Taiwan is partnering with the food-delivery platform Foodpanda to launch a delivery service.

    Starting Wednesday next week, the firm plans to offer delivery services from its 1000 outlets nationwide by June, with initial services commencing out of Familymart Taiwan’s 146 locations within Taipei and New Taipei. The service will be rolled out to the remaining outlets in two further phases.

    Deliveries will be made between the hours of 5.30 pm to 2 am on the day following the purchase, and will serve almost 200 of its food items including snacks, beverages, groceries and pre-packed meals.

    FamilyMart Taiwan partnered with Uber Eats last year to start a food delivery service before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic. That partnership ended in March.

    The new partnership is expected to address the sharp rise in e-commerce trading in response to the coronavirus outbreak as consumers are staying home. The firm has seen demand for delivery of its products rise 15 percent since February, according to senior executive Lee Ching-hsien.

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  • FamilyMart Thailand launches vending concept store FamilyMart Corner

    FamilyMart Thailand launches vending concept store FamilyMart Corner

    FamilyMart Thailand has opened its first ‘FamilyMart Corner’ stores where beverages, snacks and convenience foods are sold from automatic vending machines.

    Central Food Retail, which operates FamilyMart Thailand and the Tops supermarket chain, created the FamilyMart Corner, the first concept of its type in the nation, to provide increased convenience to consumers on the go.

    “Convenience stores must always adapt,” says Stephane Coum, CEO of Central Food Retail Group. “In every crisis lies endless opportunities. The Covid-19 outbreak has prompted us to adapt ourselves and changed the way we work.”

    Coum says the container-style convenience stores can be built quickly and take up limited space, enabling them to be opened rapidly in areas where consumers in lockdown need to access food and beverages quickly and close to their homes.

    “We focus on locations in front of shopping malls, condominiums, universities, communities, and factories,” says Coum. “The design of the containers is attractive, with graffiti and street art to attract people and invite them to come buy our products.”

    The first FamilyMart Corners opened at Robinson Lifestyle Srisaman and Saraburi on April 10 and the next is scheduled for Robinson Bangrak on April 22.

    The Family Mart Corners are open daily from 7am to 9pm, and after Thailand’s Covid-19 curfew is canceled, the opening hours will be extended. Entry will be restricted to five customers at any one time to meet social-distancing requirements.

    Meanwhile, in a second initiative, FamilyMart and Tops Daily have introduced automatic vending machines under the concept of “Hungry? Get it Now”. The machines offer food and beverages for consumers for people in a rush and who want to maintain a safe social distancing.

    With convenience stores unable to trade 24-seven as usual in Thailand, the paired vending machines – one selling snacks and chilled food, the other cold beverages – will also serve people exempted from the curfew.

    The product mix sold in the machines will be adjusted to each location based on sales data from FamilyMart or Tops convenience stores, so as to best serve the local population. The machines will only accept cash payments initially, with other payment methods in planning.

    The first Hungry? Get it Now machines have opened outside FamilyMart stores at Muang Thong Popular 3, Rangsit University, Pracharatbamphen 11, Soi Ramintra 34, Bang Bon 5-Soi 8 and Tops Daily Thammasat University Rangsit Campus.

  • FamilyMart Taiwan plans rolling out 200 new stores

    FamilyMart Taiwan plans rolling out 200 new stores

    Familymart Taiwan is aiming to open 220–230 new stores in the territory this year, as the Japanese convenience-store chain franchise, emerges unaffected by the coronavirus turmoil.

    The firm’s takings in this year’s first financial quarter are anticipated to rise 8.4 percent year -on year to NT$19.71 billion (US$652.3 million). FamilyMart Taiwan reported net earnings of NT$1.83 billion ($60.56 million) last year.

    The franchise has suffered minimal fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, with only a low percentage of its earnings derived from operations in Mainland China.

    The firm is the second-largest convenience-store chain in Taiwan, operating 3606 locations nationwide and more than 1200 stores in nine cities on the mainland. The number of closed stores in China dropped from 600 to 100 last month as the Covid-19 pandemic eased. The firm expects operations in China to normalize in July.

  • FamilyMart Japan reveals results of shorter trading-hours test

    FamilyMart Japan reveals results of shorter trading-hours test

    A trial to reduce business hours has resulted in a 59 percent drop in operating profits for FamilyMart Japan.The trial by the traditionally 24-hour convenience-store chain operator was conducted from October to December at around 600 FamilyMart outlets to assess the effect of cutting late-night hours of business.

    While average labor costs fell 11 percent at participating stores, the average drop in sales of 6.7 percent led to the operating profit declines, according to a Jiji Press report. 41 percent of the outlets recorded growth in profits.

    FamilyMart Japan has now announced that it will allow its franchises to apply to reduce their hours permanently beginning in June.

    “From now, we will ask franchise store owners to decide whether to shorten service hours,” said FamilyMart VP Toshio Kato.

    Stores will be allowed to close late-night and early-morning operations daily or on Sundays only.

  • FamilyMart Japan culls staff as store network shrinks

    FamilyMart Japan culls staff as store network shrinks

    FamilyMart Japan is reducing its operational costs by letting go 800 employees.

    The redundancies equate to about one in 10 of the convenience-store operator’s total staff count, and will be offered with severance packages for volunteers who opt to leave the firm. Moves will also be made to allow the brand’s franchisees to operate shorter opening hours.

    “We got bigger after the repeated consolidations, but we have yet to streamline,” said FamilyMart Japan president Takashi Sawada in a Nikkei report. “Even if there isn’t an agreement with the home office, we will respond in accordance with the intent of what member stores decide.”

    The staff cuts follow a gradual reduction in outlets from 18,000 in 2016 to 16,500 this year.

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  • World’s largest FamilyMart opening in Manila

    World’s largest FamilyMart opening in Manila

    The world’s largest FamilyMart is to open in Manila.

    The 400sqm outlet will launch in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, on the ground floor of the Udenna Towers, operated by Philippine FamilyMart CVS. The store will be designed to appeal to “a youthful and vibrant market,” with a food counter as the store’s centrepiece.

    “We are aiming to be more relevant to the market we believe needs to be served,” said Philippine FamilyMart GM Bernard Suiza. “This is the pivot to food that we are embarking on here in the Philippines – going back to the essence of what konbini is, which is hearty, home-cooked meals”.

    The food-focused strategy will see the firm focusing on key, densely populated urban areas in the Philippines, and will be supported by PFM owner Udenna’s F&B holdings and supply chains.

    FamilyMart will also launch its own signature coffee brand with Japanese firm UCC in the near future.

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  • FamilyMart Taiwan rolls out small railway-station stores

    FamilyMart Taiwan rolls out small railway-station stores

    Convenience-store operator FamilyMart Taiwan plans nearly 40 new stores in railway stations this year.

    The Japanese-headquartered company has just opened three new outlets in Taiwanese stations at Badu, Wanhua, and Luodong. Two more are about to open at the main Taipei station, with another 32 planned for 23 stations within two months. Once complete, the network will serve 20 million rail travelers per year.

    FamilyMart Taiwan is also catering to local tastes by selling snacks in partnership with various Taiwanese firms, such as bakery shop Master Fang, which will sell desserts at Kaohsiung Railway Station.

  • Half of FamilyMart owners want shorter hours

    Half of FamilyMart owners want shorter hours

    FamilyMart Japan says almost half of its franchisees want to drop its signature 24-hour trading hours.

    The firm conducted a recent survey among its around 14,000 franchises in Japan, of which 48.3 percent said they want to operate shorter hours, citing the cost of late-night operations and labor shortages. Of those, 73.3 percent wanted reduced hours every day, while 26.3 percent said that reduced hours one day a week would be sufficient.

    The remaining stores indicated a wish to retain 24-hour operations to avoid a drop in sales.

    Given the unexpectedly high interest in reducing store hours, FamilyMart Japan president Takashi Sawada announced: “We’ll build a system to ensure profits at franchisees.”

    FamilyMart Japan currently has 24 stores experimenting with shorter daily operational hours and will increase that number to 700 from October. It will review its 24-hour policy next year.

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  • FamilyMart is suing its Chinese partner

    FamilyMart is suing its Chinese partner

    FamilyMart is suing its Chinese partner in a dispute over royalties which could spell the end of the joint venture.

    With 2500 stores across China, FamilyMart has the second-largest network of foreign players, but the highest market share at around 8.4 per cent, according to Euromonitor data. The Chinese business, owned by Taiwan-based Ting Hsin International Group, is considered a mainland entity having had a presence there since the late 1980s.

    Japan’s FamilyMart UNY has lodged a suit in the Cayman Islands, where both companies are registered, seeking to force Ting Hsin to relinquish its 60 per cent stake in the venture, according to documents sighted by Bloomberg. It claims the Chinese company has not been fairly sharing the profits from the chain’s expansion in China.

    But Ting Hsin counters that familyMart is seeking royalty fees three times higher than rival chains such as 7-Eleven, which is also Japanese owned.

    A FamilyMart spokesperson says the company cannot comment on matters of litigation. Ting Hsin cited confidentiality agreements for not commenting.

    However FamilyMart UNY is alleging that Ting Hsin sought to reduce the royalty fee it pays for using the brand from 1 per cent of sales to 0.3 per cent or less. At one point, it allegedly withheld royalty payments for seven months.

    Ting Hsin has also been accused of failing to adequately disclose transaction data which would allow familyMart UNY to gain an accurate picture of the business’ performance in China.

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  • FamilyMart Japan investing in New Labour Technology

    FamilyMart Japan investing in New Labour Technology

    Japanese convenience store FamilyMart Holdings is preparing to invest ¥25 billion (US$223 million) on labour-saving technologies.

    The firm will partner with tech firm Panasonic to introduce self check-out, digital displays and other similar devices which automate procedures traditionally undertaken by staff.

    The investment is intended to serve the brand’s franchisees who have been burdened with high labour costs in order to keep stores open around the clock.

    Both FamilyMart and its larger competitor 7-Eleven have felt pressured to let go of their 24-hour store policies in the face of a tightening labour market.

    They are also looking at other ways to ease the financial burden on franchisees.

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  • FamilyMart Malaysia to open 300 more stores by 2022

    FamilyMart Malaysia to open 300 more stores by 2022

    QL Resources, the Malaysian operator of Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart, is going ahead with plans to open 300 stores by March 2022, despite a slump in the economy. The firm opened 30 FamilyMart Malaysia outlets within the last financial year and plans to reach 90 new stores for the year ending March 31, 2019.

    “We still stick to our plan to open 300 stores in five years”, said QL chairman Chia Song Kun.

    Market leadership in the territory is currently controlled by 7-Eleven Malaysia, which operates more than 2000 stores in Malaysia. A major shareholder in the firm recently announced plans to open another 200 outlets this year.

    Malaysian spending is increasingly focused on domestic trade as exports continue to be affected by the US-China trade war.

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  • FamilyMart expands Bangkok delivery service with Kerry

    FamilyMart expands Bangkok delivery service with Kerry

    Convenience store chain FamilyMart has partnered with logistics operator Kerry Express to expand its Bangkok delivery service. “Today, the e-commerce market has grown continuously for more than 20 per cent annually, and individual consumers have also had a greater demand for express delivery over the past three to five years,” said Central FamilyMart president Chiranun Poopat.

    “We have introduced Kerry Express, an express delivery service, available 24 hours a day at our FamilyMart stores in Bangkok and surrounding locations. The door-to-door express delivery will be provided to our individual customers so that they will be able to send their parcels to any locations throughout the Kingdom with fast and high-standard delivery process.”

    The new service is being promoted with a free limited-edition parcel delivery box available to customers during the Christmas period. The box will be provided to customer spending more than THB79 (US$2.42) via its express delivery service.

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  • Uny to make discount operator Don Quijote its affiliate

    Uny to make discount operator Don Quijote its affiliate

    Japanese discount store operator Don Quijote is approaching an agreement to take over 100 per cent of the Uny general merchandise store business, making it the country’s fourth-largest retailer. The firm already controls 40 per cent of the Uny business, and the acquisition of the remaining 60 per cent would add 190 locations to its network, most likely converting the existing stores into discount outlets.

    Don Quijote took sales revenue of ¥941.5 billion (US$8.35 billion) in the last financial year. Uny’s sales reached ¥712.8 billion ($6.35 billion).

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  • Japanese convenience store ready to fight new challenge

    Japanese convenience store ready to fight new challenge

    Healthcare is becoming a staple category for Japanese convenience store chains as they seek to counter the encroachment of pharmacies on their traditional product ranges.

    According reports, while Japanese drugstores are increasingly offering snacks and quick meals, convenience stores are now selling medicines and even setting up health consultation stations in stores.

    Lawson-branded stores have launched 17 in-store consultation corners and plans to expand this number to 100 locations.

    Lawson president Sadanobu Takemasu said the company wants to resolve the community issues that arise “in an age where many people live to be 100”. The service is intended to attract more families and elderly people.

    FamilyMart and Seven-Eleven convenience chains in Japan have also been found to be selling medicines, with some also offering pharmacy-style advice.

    Japanese drugstores have been increasingly expanding beyond medical products in recent years, which has paid off. The value of pharmacy industry sales has gone up five per cent in the past two years, as opposed to two per cent on convenience store sales over the same period.

    The number of pharmaceutical outlets increased 11 per cent since 2015, during which time convenience store expansion was limited to just three per cent.

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  • FamilyMart marks its 100th store in Indonesia

    FamilyMart marks its 100th store in Indonesia

    FamilyMart Indonesia has opened its 100th store with plans to continue to expand the network.

    The Japanese-founded convenience-store chain opened its first store in Indonesia in October 2012 and has so far focused on growth in the capital, Jakarta, with a small presence in areas including Depok, Tangerang, Karawang and Bekasi.

    “Our target is to have 120 stores by the end of this year,” FamilyMart Indonesia CEO Wirry Tjandra said at the opening ceremony of the 100th store, which is located at Gran Rubina in South Jakarta.

    Some of the growth has come from taking over stores previously operated by other brands.

    “We have taken over 49 stores from Starmart and 13 stores from 7-Eleven,” Tjandra said.

    FamilyMart has more than 20,000 stores across Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

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