TOKYO – The rapidly aging Japanese population has convenience stores scrambling to meet their needs, the Japan Times reports. With a tight marketplace, the industry sees reaching the elderly as a key way to grow.

Seven-Eleven Japan burst onto the scene in 1974, and swiftly began introducing changes, such as onigiri rice balls. Today, many Japanese convenience stores offer a host of services, from dry cleaning to ATMs to utility bill paying options. FamilyMart, Lawson and Seven-Eleven dominate the marketplace.

However, with more than 50,000 convenience stores in Japan, there’s not much room for future expansion. Pressures from grocery stores and fast-food outlets, coupled with a decline in smokers, have squeezed profits on c-stores. 

Lawson will add “local health stations” specifically geared toward the elderly in its units and expand its mix of healthful foods and medications, according to CEO Takeshi Niinami. Seven-Eleven will soon start a “roundsman” program that delivers orders to elderly shoppers, as well as marketing upscale products at a price point higher than its own branded merchandise to capture young professional interest, according to Toshifumi Suzuki, chairman of Seven & I Holdings Co., owner of Seven-Eleven Japan.