Family Mart announces (again) US expansion

[Mulboyne]

Japan Today: FamilyMart to open 1st U.S. outlet in 2005

TOKYO Oct. 9th 2004— Major convenience store operator FamilyMart Co plans to open its first U.S. outlet in Los Angeles by next May and eventually operate 200 stores in major U.S. cities on the West Coast in four years, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported Saturday.

Well, it looks like it took them a little longer than they expected:

AFP - Sept 14th 2003 Japan's FamilyMart store chain to start US operations

TOKYO, Sept 14 (AFP) - FamilyMart Co. will soon become the first Japanese convenience store operator to open outlets in the United States, a news report said Sunday.

The company plans to establish franchise chains around Los Angeles and along the east coast, including New York, setting up about 200 stores in each of the regions, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said, citing company sources.

[twilightzone]

interesting. they copied and fucked over 7/11 in Japan and now they are going to the US!
hope they fuck up.
that is like a company in Japan that copied Starbucks right down to the design and colour. Infact I thought it was starbucks until my mate said it wasnt.
amazing how they can get away with that shit in Japan.

[Andocrates]

After reading your post I have to wonder where this magical American 7/11 is located at. American convenience stores suck ass, I'd rather take the time to stand in a grocery store. Japanese convenience store are actually convenient and much cheaper then the American counterpart. I'm all freaking for it.

[Big Booger]

Will there be onigiri and nikuman? If so, I am all there.

[Taro Toporific]

Will there be onigiri and nikuman? If so, I am all there.

ODEN simmering since the Showa era leaving a slime film on all the goods and windows in typical 7-11 style, I'm so NOT there.


<---Know your enemy, Showa Hanpen from hell.

[Mulboyne]

It has been all-change in the convenience store world. 7-11 was an original US concept, operated by Southland. Ito-Yokado bought the rights to the US franchise and started up 7-11 as a separate company which, at one stage, grew to be larger than the parent. Meanwhile, Southland went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy and Ito Yokado decided to rescue them; thus making the US 7-11 a Japanese company. AM/PM was also originally a US company and Japan Energy bought the franchise rights for Japan. AM/PM's original owner in the US was subsequently sold to BP of the UK while Japan Energy has sold a stake in its business to Reins International, the yakiniku company. More on the FG thread HERE.
The Circle K concept was also originally from the US and was licensed by Uny until they bought out the rights a few years back. Circle K merged with Sunkus in 1998.
Family Mart used to be owned by the Seibu Saison group but they sold control to Itochu, also in 1998. Similar debt problems at Daiei meant that their control of Lawson passed to Mitsubishi Shoji. As far as I know, MiniStop (short for "Minute Stop") is still part of the Aeon group (formerly Jusco).

[Skankster]

-
-
there is actually already a Family Mart in LA. 2 of em.
One is in Little Tokyo and the other in south bay.


the guy that runs em I think just copied the name.

....I cannot remember where a Japanese company was succesful in recent examples. esp in the service merchandising industry
Usually the failure is attributable to the hiring of the wrong people - pay big money for the best people- trickle down.
They still dont seem to get the venture concept. I expect no more from this venture.

[Taro Toporific]

It has been all-change in the convenience store world. 7-11 was an original US concept, operated by Southland. Ito-Yokado bought the rights to the US franchise ...

Grrrreat overview Mulboyne. I owned Southland stock in the early days of 7-11...it was one of few times I really bought-low-sold-high.

For the past 20 years in N. America, the number of convenience stores have been dropping but the size of the stores has been increasing. Most of the convenience stores in gas station plazas have the floor space of supermarkets before 1965.

Right now the highest demand for both supermarkets and convenience stores is in lower income areas. If they develop an Adams FAMILY MART made like a high-tech fortress, they could make "a killing" so to speak just as long as they sell smokes and booze.

[Andocrates]

If they develop an Adams FAMILY MART made like a high-tech fortress, they could make "a killing" so to speak just as long as they sell smokes and booze.

smokes, booze and Pimp Juice

[Mulboyne]

MSN: Japan's 'Family Mart' to Open in U.S.
Japanese convenience store operator FamilyMart Co. said Tuesday it plans to open 200 stores in the U.S. over the next four years. The inaugural U.S. store will open July 20 in West Hollywood, California, under the name "Famima," the nickname widely used by Japanese. It will offer traditional Japanese convenience store staples like "omusubi" rice balls, "bento" box lunches and sushi, as well as U.S. fare like takeaway sandwiches, the company said in a statement. "We would like our American customers to experience a new shopping style," it said. The store will also feature wireless Internet access, an ATM, a copy machine and an eat-in area, it said. The company said it plans to have three U.S. locations by the end of the year and about 200 by February 2009.

[Greji]

If they develop an Adams FAMILY MART made like a high-tech fortress, they could make "a killing" so to speak just as long as they sell smokes and booze.

smokes, booze and Pimp Juice

You forgot armed cashiers with superior firepower

[torasan]

I think the name FAMIMA sucks bigtime and will not go over well in USA. What's wrong with Family Mart? Has a nice ring to it. FAMIMIA sounds to me like: FATIMA, FAMINE, FEMININE, terrible choice of a kanban name for USA market. I can already hear the jokes on Leno Letterman. It just does not make sense to call these stores FAMIMA in USA. I predict a major PR disaster.

[Blah Pete]

What's wrong with Family Mart?

Sounds like someone else may have already registered businessFamily Mart as a business name.
Famina is stupid. Doesn't it mean something in Spanish?

[Kuang_Grade]

[torasan]

Well, they've already gone and built the first FAMIMA and it's up and running now in La La Land. But wait till the internet and late night TV jokes begin. How long a shelf life will this terrible name have? Three years?

Back to the drawing board....

[Samurai_Jerk]

Man, that is a stupid fucking name. What were they thinking? Famima

[oyajikun]

Famima... the name causes me to imagine drinking a hot can of fanta on a dirty Tijuana road, wondering, "why did parents leave me here?".

[Mulboyne]

Forbes: Japan's FamilyMart opens its first convenience store in US

FamilyMart said it opened yesterday a Famima 'luxury convenience store' in West Hollywood, California, the first Japanese-style convenience store in the US.

[Big Booger]

I think this is a good idea... I can get onigiri when I go back home

[kamome]

Forbes: Japan's FamilyMart opens its first convenience store in US

FamilyMart said it opened yesterday a Famima 'luxury convenience store' in West Hollywood, California, the first Japanese-style convenience store in the US.

This is pretty cool (except for the name), but there are already several giant Japanese grocery stores in the Southern California area where you can get all the onigiri you want (plus sushi, etc.). I can't tell from those pictures, but I'm not sure "Famima" is even carrying the type of onigiri and other foods that you would see in a Japanese Family Mart. They're certainly not going to import the food as-is from Japan, so my guess is that the food will be a strange copy. Maybe I'll check it out sometime, although West Hollywood is a bit out of my way.

[Mulboyne]