Japanese Convenience Stores Go Deluxe on Desserts

To attract customers, retailers have added gorgeous delectables from famous confectionery brands.

February 08, 2017

TOKYO – In Japan, customers can stop by their local convenience store and pick up a beautifully boxed dessert or chocolates, suitable for thank-you gifts or small favors, The Japan News reports. More retailers are going after the deluxe dessert market by stocking gift-worthy boxes from famous confectionery brands. “Many customers, mainly women, buy thank-you gifts for small favors at nearby convenience stores,” said an official at a large convenience store chain.

FamilyMart Co. and Fujiya Co. worked together on a new product line of baked confectionery, called Jewelry Sweets. The brand offers 10 types of packaged sweets, such as fruit tarts with piped white chocolate and dried fruit toppings and raisin butter biscuits with butter cream. “We avoided indicating the price on the packages so it’s easier for customers to buy them as gifts,” a FamilyMart spokesperson said.

Grapestone Co. and Seven-Eleven Japan Co. also partnered in developing Gin no Budo (Silver Grape), which has sweets such as Seven Cafe Kobashi Cereal & Milky Shokora Sugar Butter no Ki. Previously, the Gin no Budo brand was only sold at airports and department stores. “We made the brand’s products easy to buy at convenience stores,” said a PR official with Seven-Eleven Japan.

Lawson Inc. also has its own confectionery brand called Uchi Cafe Sweets that offer Premium Roll Cake and Funwari Waffle, as well as special gift bags for sweets. “Sweets are a communication tool,” said a spokesman with the Meiji Co.

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