FamilyMart
The FamilyMart Company, Ltd. (株式会社ファミリーマート, Kabushikigaisha Famirīmāto) is a Japanese convenience store franchise chain. It is Japan's second largest convenience store chain, behind Seven-Eleven Japan. There are now 24,574 stores worldwide in Japan, Taiwan, China, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.[4] Its headquarters is on the 17th floor of the Sunshine 60 building in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo.[5] There were some stores in Japan with the name Circle K Sunkus under the operation of FamilyMart.
"Family Mart" redirects here. For the defunct grocery chain in the United States, see A&P Family Mart.
Native name
株式会社ファミリーマート
Kabushiki gaisha FamirīMāto
Seibu Retailing Group
24,941[1] (July 2021)
- Koji Takayanagi
(Director and Chairman) - Kensuke Hosomi
(Representative Director and President)
JPY 42.8 bn (2017)
JPY 21.9 bn (2017)
JPY 730.3 bn (2016)
JPY 295.2 bn (2016)
16,601 (2017)
- Seibu Retailing Group (1973–2006)
- FamilyMart UNY Holdings Co., Ltd. (2017–2020)
- Itochu (2020–present)[3]
FamilyMart was, until 2020, a subsidiary of the FamilyMart UNY Holdings Co., Ltd. (UFHD), which also owned supermarket chain Uny. UFHD was dissolved when Uny was acquired by the parent company of Don Quijote in 2020. FamilyMart Co.'s parent company is Itochu, a Japanese trading company, with a stake of 50.1%.[3] On July 8, 2020, Itochu announced it will spend approximately ¥580 billion (approx $5.5 billion) to purchase 100% of FamilyMart, with the intent to sell 4.9% of the shares to Zen-Noh and Norinchukin Bank.[6] FamilyMart shareholders approved the takeover on October 26, and the stock was delisted on November 12, thus leading the completion of the acquisition.[7]
FamilyMart stores sell all the usual Japanese convenience store goods, such as basic grocery items, magazines, manga, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks like sake, nikuman (steamed pork buns), fried chicken, onigiri/omusubi (rice balls), and bento. FamilyMart is known for its distinctive doorbell melody, which plays upon entering the store.[8] The doorbells are exclusively made by Panasonic. The melody is referred to as Melody Chime No.1 – Daiseikyou, and was originally developed for Panasonic by Yasuhi Inada in 1978.[9]
Solar power[edit]
FamilyMart has had solar power at some of its stores since at least 2004.[46] It aims to increase its solar energy footprint in the future. There are around 45,000 convenience stores in Japan. Lawson run just under 10,000, a market share just behind 7-Eleven, who have about 13,000 stores. Currently, only 20 of Lawson's stores are equipped with solar equipment, but they plan to expand that number ahead of the 1 July 2012 introduction of a "feed-in tariff system", which the government and electricity companies say guarantees purchases of electricity from renewable sources such as solar or wind generators. Surplus power can be sold only after in-store lighting and air-conditioning have been powered.[47]
Controversy[edit]
Labor Commission case by franchise owners[edit]
Seventeen convenience store owners of FamilyMart stores formed a union and requested collective bargaining with the company. They were refused and sued. In April 2015 the Central Labor Commission of Japan found that FamilyMart had violated the Trade Union Law by refusing to negotiate with the union. The franchise owners were recognized as employees under the trade union law, and the company was ordered to pledge to the union that it would not repeat the offence.[48][49]
Rat infestation incident[edit]
In August 2019, footage emerged of as many as six rats scurrying through a FamilyMart store in Shibuya, near sushi displays and down aisles. FamilyMart responded by shutting the store, in order to investigate the cause of the problem, and apologised if the "unsanitary" footage had made customers feel "uneasy".[50]