week 10: The Future of the Convenience Store

  Have you thought about a future convenience store? The convenience store evolved in sequence since it was opened a store about 50 years ago. (For example, selling life articles and setting ATM and so on.) What will the next evolution be? On this topic, I explain the evolution which I and researchers think about.
 First, I introduce my ideas. We have bought foods, drinks, magazines. When you listen to it, you will notice that we are not able to buy food materials (vegetables, fish, meat and so on). However, there are some Lawson which sell vegetables. Lawson where I often go also sell vegetables. I expect that other convenience store companies as well as begin selling vegitables seseveral years later. In addition, I expect that not only vegetables such as a fish or the meat come to be sold. In other words, I think that the need of the supermarket begins to be call into question from now on.
 Next, I introduce researcher's ideas. I explain it by items.
(i)   The abolition open for 24 hours
(ii)  Sale using the internet
(iii) Offer method of the product
I explain these ideas in turn.
(i) A strength open for 24 hours has already weakened. This is because late-night development of the door-to-door parcel delivery service of the food influences it. In the late-night door-to-door parcel delivery service, a thing ranging from udon to real pasta, a snack of the liquor comes to be provided and it take users at a point saving trouble to the convenience store to buy food.
(ii) This is performed to some extent now. For example, it is courier service, publication of the ticket, downloading of the software or introduction of ATM. In addition, At the time of Hanshin Awaji great earthquake disaster, it was demonstrated that the network of the convenience store could become the lifeline at the time of the disaster.
(iii) This has some examples. First is place in the magazine using large tablet. Employees of a convenience store will not exhibit magazines and can in this way it as they merely download it. Second is about a drink. It is the drink that people purchase most in a convenience store. What's called "Coca-cola free-style" installed in the airport diner in today's Narita Airport spreads out and develops the machine in the companies and seems to be just set in the drink sales floor of the convenience store. In this way, a favorite thing can be provided in favorite quantity, favorite form. In addition, it enable to regulate the taste of the drink to one's preference, too. Third is extinction of the work of cash register. In other words, the cash register operation by the salesclerk disappears. But self-register has been already introduced in some supermarkets, a total amount of money comes to be displayed in the panel of register just to put the product which I put in a basket in front of a cash register from now on.
 Such expectation and trial are going to be accomplished. I think it to want to do attention how the convenience store industry advances in the future.
 This blog is the last. I thank people who read to here from week 1. I hope that this blog expects a thing good for you. See you!!

Week 9: The Customer of Convenience Stores

 Do you often use convenience stores? Probably most people will use a convenience store more than once a week. I use a convenience store three times a week. By the way, what do you go to the convenience store to do? Now, many people would think that its answer is naturally to buy things which the person wants. However, there are persons who do not only buy things but also send something and receive something and persons who use to convenience store as a substitute for bank to draw money in today's convenience stores. In this topic, I introduce which generation a layer use a convenience store frequently in and what people use a convenience store to do.

 First, I explain it which generation a layer uses a convenience store frequently in. Please show the right graph. According to these data, in 2009, the generation using a convenience store most frequently was people in their 50s. On the other hand, the generation using a convenience store least was people younger than 20 years. There may be few people who expected the result. I thought that people in their 30s use convenience store the most frequently. In addition, when you compare three graphs, you will notice that the users of people 30 years or older increase among people using a convenience store remarkably. This is because the convenience store industry adopted the service that it put the senior layer and a woman to the field of vision. (For example, the lunch which was specialized in health, side dish, life articles such as seasonings and detergents, sweets which targeted an adult)  But It is existence of the ATM to pay attention most. The recent convenience stores takes in the service that we want to easily finish in sequence and they have the force that they overturn image such as the conventional 'the shop where youths gather'.
 Next, I explain what people use a convenience store to do. Please show the left graph. According to these data, about half of convenience store users seems to have possibilities to go to the convenience store aimlessly. This is also the result unexpected. I think that there are many people going to the convenience store of the station aimlessly. Furthermore, the ratio has much so as to be young. Why is this? I was not able to examine this. I think that a psychological thing affects the reason. However, I cannot explain it definitely because there are no grounds. In addition, please show the right graph. This graph indicate an amount of money to use by one shopping according to the deneration. You will understand that youths tend not to spend money when you look at this graph. On the other hand, elderly people tend to spend a lot money. I think that youths use convenience stores to buy light meals and read comics or magazines and the people in their 30s and 40s use them to buy lunch and cigarette. Therefore, such a result was given.
 How about to look at these results? Were you able to sympathize? If these results were unexpected, I am satisfied in it. The final blog is "The future of the convenience store". Don't miss it!