JAPAN TODAY



 

Sales from seven major Japanese convenience store chains hit a record high of 11.8 trillion yen in 2024, bolstered by inbound tourism and demand for readily consumable snacks and drinks, data by a Japanese franchising authority showed Monday.

The sales were up 1.2 percent from the previous year, marking a third consecutive year of record highs. The number of stores in the country stood at 55,736 as of December, inching up 23 from a year ago, according to the report by the Japan Franchise Association.

Although the number of store visitors in 2024 increased by 1.2 percent to 16.4 billion people, customers felt the pinch of rising prices, and the average amount spent in a single convenience store run was 720.2 yen, down 0.05 percent from the previous year, the data showed.

Hot weather boosted soft drink sales while over-the-counter foods such as onigiri rice balls and fried snacks also saw a rise in sales.

"The increase in visitors from overseas was a factor that lifted sales," an association official said.

Monthly sales for December were down 1.2 percent from a year earlier to around 1 trillion yen. It marked the first decline in 13 months.

However, the number of customers increased year-on-year by 0.8 percent to 1.3 billion, rising for the third consecutive month.