Introduction
Convenience store (convenience store) of Japan is common for 24 hours and 365 days. It is the "midnight support base" which is indispensable to the life of the Japanese people until purchase of the lunch in the middle of the night, shopping of the steep daily necessities, and Jinshi to the agency of the administrative procedure. This 24-hour sales system is realized not only by "service improvement" but also by Japan's social structure, consumer needs, and corporate strategy. Let's solve the background from the three core elements.
Correspondence of various social demands
1.1 night shift demand by diversification of work
In Japan, there are a lot of people working at night, such as the spread of "flex time system", food and ポルチオ, security and medical workers. According to statistics by the Ministry of health, labor and welfare, there are also data that about 15% of workers finish working after 10 p.m., and for these people, 24 hour convenience stores often become the only place to obtain daily necessities.
1.2 emergency support function
The convenience store offers a sense of security that can be obtained at any time, such as the purchase of a sudden headache medicine, an umbrella when wet to the rain, and the safety of drinking water and food at the time of disaster. Especially, in the urban area, the convenience store has the role of "emergency support base" in the region as the public facilities in the late night is limited.
2, efficient construction of commercial models
2.1 effective utilization of fixed cost
Fixed cost of store rent, electricity bill, labor expense etc.of convenience store is fixed. By selling 24 hours, sales can be secured even at a low number of customers at night, and the recovery efficiency of fixed cost can be raised. Especially in the central area of urban areas, the price of customers at midnight is higher than in daytime and contributes to securing profitability.
2.2 improvement of attractiveness by multi function
Today's convenience stores offer various services including not only merchandise sales but also use of ATM, delivery and delivery of home delivery, tax payment, and ticket purchase. These services are available at midnight, not only shoppers, but also people who rush to the procedure, and have enhanced the rationality for 24 hours.
3.Support for stable management
3.1 efficient personnel placement and automation
In order to realize 24 hours operation, convenience store adopts "nighttime small system". バイブ, by introducing an automated system such as selflage, vending machine, and optimization of the commodity display, the small staff is able to operate smoothly. In some stores, an unmanned system is also introduced at midnight.
3.2 stable supply chain
The replenishment and delivery system of goods is 24 hours corresponding to midnight sales. Each major convenience store has its own logistics center and is building a system to distribute goods centrally at night. This makes it possible to provide fresh food and daily necessities at midnight.
Conclusion
Japan's convenience store continues to operate for 24 hours. The result is the combination of organic demand, efficient commercial model and stable management system. This is beyond mere "convenience", and plays a role as a social infrastructure to respond to the diverse ways of working and lifestyle. With the evolution of technology, further advanced 24 hour service will be developed.