Japanese convenience stores launch volume increases amid summer food cost concerns

Japanese convenience stores are launching large-scale volume increase campaigns to address rising food costs for families during summer vacation. FamilyMart has initiated a campaign across approximately 16,400 stores, increasing the volume of 13 products—including Famichiki and various salads—by 45% while maintaining original prices. Seven-Eleven is releasing a “Butamen Cho BIG” version of its noodles with approximately four times the usual amount, and Ministop has introduced a peach parfait containing double the standard amount of fruit.

These commercial efforts coincide with growing concerns regarding food security for children during school breaks. A survey of approximately 1,000 low-income single-parent households conducted by an NPO revealed that the proportion of children eating two or fewer meals a day rises from roughly 11% during the school term to 37% during long holidays. The primary reason cited for the reduction in meals is the financial difficulty of providing sufficient food at home. In response to changing family environments, some companies, such as CARTA HOLDINGS, have implemented programs like “parent-child commuting” to support working parents during the summer period.