Japanese corner stores on wheels hit the road
A normal, non-roadgoing FamilyMart store in Tokyo. Note the absence of wheels.Even more than sushi, sumo or insane dancing robots, nothing says “Ahh, Japan ...” quite like a glimpse of a Lawson, Ministop or FamilyMart: the Far East truly is the Land of the Rising Convenience Store.
That’s why one of the country’s leading konbini operators is sending three “stores in a truck” to some of the areas worst affected by the March 11 disasters.
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The company’s mobile shops will patrol the northeast, hitting Sendai, Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, and will be joined by up to 100 more vehicles within a year.
Real deal
Rather than the temporary solutions seen immediately after March 11, the new trucks -- converted three-ton delivery vans -- are as close to full-fledged stores as makes no difference.
In operation, the side of each truck opens to reveal a near-normal, albeit small, floor layout, complete with entrance and exit steps.
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The cash register sits outside, along with hot-water kettles for instant ramen and a microwave oven. There’s even strip lighting built into the roof of the vehicles to make shoppers feel right at home.
Full range
Power comes from generators that allow a week on the road at a stretch, while opening hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each store will make three stops a day.
As for the products on the shelves, FamilyMart says customers can expect the usual range of snacks and drinks, along with fruit and vegetables -- 300 different items in total.
