Why do Japanese convenience stores succeed?

At present, in the national retail industry overall growth slowdown, rent, labor and other costs continue to rise in the competitive environment, large retail enterprises began to appear polarized, mergers and acquisitions between enterprises began to accelerate. Only 2013 years in a year, the National department stores closed the number of 23, foreign-funded large-scale integrated supermarkets, close the number of stores reached 28, China's retail industry is facing unprecedented severe test.

In fact, Japan's retail industry also experienced the same economic downturn 20 years ago. 1990 years or so, Japan's economy, with the stagnation of population growth, plunged into a period of constant gloom, with the average growth rate of less than 1% per cent between 1990 and 2013, with negative growth. Japan's retail business has changed a lot. According to statistics, 2001-011 years of the overall market size of the Department of Department of the total decline of 29.8%, large supermarkets shrank to 28.2%.

In the past 10 years, the development of the first is the convenience store, the other is the drug store and no shop sales (including communications sales and network sales). From the evaluation of the various forms of performance, convenience stores in the 1.4 million yen/square meters of the number of high ranking of the top of the various industries. In the top 10 retail chain companies in Japan in 2012, convenience store companies accounted for 5 seats, of which 7-11 ranked highest.

A survey of the development of small business in Japan shows several characteristics, reflecting the trend of the development of retail trade, and will bring some enlightenment to the transformation of China's retailing industry.

The background of the development of Japanese convenience stores

Japan's convenience store business model introduced from the United States in the 70 's, the 80 's with the increase in the proportion of women to enter the society, people for the 24-hour convenience of increased demand, convenience stores rapidly expanding, at this time has been recognized by the community, as a major part of the Japanese retail industry.

In the 90 's, Japan began to enter the period of economic downturn, all kinds of large-scale commercial development stalled. Because the small retail business is affected by the economic situation, the convenience store enterprises have strengthened the store operation ability, expanded the commodity category and the service type, made the convenience store to obtain the further development in the 90 's. After entering the 2000, the Japanese government relaxed the restriction on the distribution category of the convenience store enterprise, the bank ATM and other financial services became the new business growth point of the convenience store enterprise, at the same time, the development of the own brand and the birth of the subdivision industry continue to promote the development of the Japanese convenience store industry The convenience store industry has shown a very steady upward trend after 2000 years.

Develop and improve new products and services in compliance with demand

We take 7-11 from the transformation of goods to services as an example to illustrate that the first shop is only a mini supermarket, then developed into a 24-hour convenience store, and then provide a variety of rich and diverse snack foods, while expanding the various services to facilitate the consumer. The purpose of these attempts is to better meet the changing needs of consumers for life convenience.

In Japan 7-11, fast food and daily distribution of food accounted for 38.3% of store retail sales, the store's snack foods, are taking a self-development approach. There are nearly 150 employees in the development team at Headquarters, and they form a team collaboration system that is packed with bento suppliers, experts and experts. To fast food, and constantly update the merchandise, the store people refreshing. Shop goods about 2,800 varieties, of which the weekly launch of the number of new products nearly 100 species, the annual update of the number of goods about 70%.

At present, the convenience store in Japan can not only solve the day outside the meals, such as ATM withdrawals, printing, payment and other services can be achieved in the convenience store. Through the investigation of the purpose of entering the convenience store for many customers, the purchase of goods or the main reason accounted for 89%, but there are other purposes (toilet, ATM withdrawals, printing, payment, etc.) also accounted for 80%, of which only to buy goods into the convenience store only 20% of the proportion, Visible convenience in-store services is very attractive to customers. The enrichment of service functions increases the frequency of customers ' access to the shop and drives the growth of the sales of goods.

Recent convenience stores, in order to meet the needs of the elderly customer base, launched a door-to-door business. Stores dedicated small distribution vehicles, for some best-selling commonly used commodity varieties to provide door-to-door services for some of the mobility of elderly customers is very convenient move.

The innovation pursues the maximization of the evaluation effect

Japan's convenience store average shop area of 110 square meters, SKU number in 2,500 categories. The average customer price can reach 46 yuan, the evaluation effect in more than 90,000 yuan. Shop sales of the enemy is the customer wants to buy goods out of stock, not sell goods but occupy a large shelf area. Therefore, it is necessary to customer demand for accurate analysis, increase the best-selling goods, accelerate the introduction of new products in order to bring customers a more satisfactory product experience, so as to improve the frequency of shop, increase sales.

At the same time, the removal of unsalable goods, can help reduce the poor inventory, thereby reducing the proportion of commodity prices, the reduction of the category along with the reduction of labor costs, but also contribute to the overall profit increase. This requires a thorough analysis of the daily POS data, based on the analysis of the results of the order forecast and reasonable orders, and actively introduce best-selling goods and new goods, timely removal of unsalable goods, while adjusting the shelf display and inventory, thereby enhancing sales.

Differentiated according to regional consumption characteristics

In order to facilitate competition, small retail enterprises to specialization. Many small retailers adopt the way of franchise stores, carry out differentiated and personalized operation, and survive in the fierce business competition.

Retail giant Aeon, the major shopping mall, has since 2005 developed a small food supermarket of the same size as a convenience store. The food supermarket, known as "my basket", has grown to 450 stores and achieved a single annual profit (as of April 2014). This is an attempt to new patterns in the context of urban regression and ageing of the population. Although from the appearance of similar convenience stores, but the shop more to rice, fresh and other raw materials mainly.

Customers are mostly elderly people living nearby, and prices are far below convenience stores. Yong-Wang group with the overall procurement capacity, through the "low-cost" Small business circle to achieve low prices, and convenience stores to achieve the appropriate differentiation, and small business district convenience and community experience these non price competitive advantage is difficult to provide for large shops.

From the global retail industry trends, the United States Wal-Mart, France Carrefour and the British Tesco and other retail giants in the mainland are actively expanding the store area of 1,000 square meters of small supermarket industry. Although the definition of small format in different countries, but in response to changes in consumer demand, positioning and business model appropriate differentiation of enterprises will win in the competition.

From the perspective of the development of Chinese enterprises, most of the retail enterprises have not found suitable for the development of the Enterprise store business model, regardless of the development of which business model needs to adapt to the changes in consumer demand, appropriate in the industry to carry out differentiation, combined with their own development characteristics of the business development can have a long-term