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▼ Lawson Testing New Multilingual System To Help Tourists Make Purchases
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Lawson is testing a new multilingual shopping guide system for foreign tourists who may not be familiar with the protocol for purchasing certain items.
The trial run was launched on March 24 at three of their stores in Tokyo — namely, Ikebukuro, Ginza and Shinjuku — and will continue until the end of this month.
The service uses Near Field Communication (NFC) tags to make shopping at the highly popular store easier for non-Japanese speakers, and augmented reality (AR) to introduce an element of fun for customers, with games they can play on their phones.
Currently, the shopping guide service is available for hot foods such as the convenience store’s beloved Karaage-kun, a fried chicken hot snack, and Ichiban Kuji, a raffle available at select stores where customers can win various character merchandise.
By holding a smartphone over the NFC tag placed within a store, customers can access instructional videos, which utilizes the AR system, on how to purchase items like the hot foods that can usually be found next to the register.
At Lawson, the protocol for purchasing hot foods is for customers to clean their hands using the hand sanitizer placed nearby and to take the product to the register themselves, unlike at some other convenience stores where employees handle the food.
The AR system also allows users to play a game featuring the Karaage-kun character on their smartphone.
Instructions for the shopping guide service are currently available in English, Korean and Chinese. The scope of the service could be expanded to include more locations and items if trial results are positive.
Last year, Japan welcomed a record 42.7 million foreign visitors, topping the 40-million mark for the first time.
While the government aims to have 60 million visitors by 2030, overtourism remains a concern, with inappropriate behavior among tourists or cultural misunderstandings sometimes resulting in societal friction.
The trial run was launched on March 24 at three of their stores in Tokyo — namely, Ikebukuro, Ginza and Shinjuku — and will continue until the end of this month.
The service uses Near Field Communication (NFC) tags to make shopping at the highly popular store easier for non-Japanese speakers, and augmented reality (AR) to introduce an element of fun for customers, with games they can play on their phones.
Currently, the shopping guide service is available for hot foods such as the convenience store’s beloved Karaage-kun, a fried chicken hot snack, and Ichiban Kuji, a raffle available at select stores where customers can win various character merchandise.
By holding a smartphone over the NFC tag placed within a store, customers can access instructional videos, which utilizes the AR system, on how to purchase items like the hot foods that can usually be found next to the register.
At Lawson, the protocol for purchasing hot foods is for customers to clean their hands using the hand sanitizer placed nearby and to take the product to the register themselves, unlike at some other convenience stores where employees handle the food.
The AR system also allows users to play a game featuring the Karaage-kun character on their smartphone.
Instructions for the shopping guide service are currently available in English, Korean and Chinese. The scope of the service could be expanded to include more locations and items if trial results are positive.
Last year, Japan welcomed a record 42.7 million foreign visitors, topping the 40-million mark for the first time.
While the government aims to have 60 million visitors by 2030, overtourism remains a concern, with inappropriate behavior among tourists or cultural misunderstandings sometimes resulting in societal friction.
- 19/5 19:55
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