Lawson opens 1st disaster-support convenience store ahead of Japan quake anniversary
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The Lawson store, which operates as a regular convenience store, is equipped with solar panels, a well and an in-house kitchen, and free Wi-Fi is available via the Starlink satellite system.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH
Convenience store operator Lawson on Feb 24 opened its first store designed to serve as a disaster support hub for communities during emergencies, ahead of the March anniversary of the massive quake and tsunami calamity that ravaged north-eastern Japan 15 years ago.
The reopening of the Futtsuminato outlet in Chiba Prefecture comes as other major convenience store operators are also working to enhance readiness against disasters in the quake-prone country.
The Lawson store, which operates as a regular convenience store, is equipped with solar panels and a well, and the in-house kitchen is set up to make onigiri rice balls that can be provided to the community in the event of a disaster, according to the company.
People will also be able to charge their phones and obtain disaster information as the store will distribute information on digital signage. Free Wi-Fi will also be available via the Starlink satellite system.
Lawson plans to have 100 of such disaster relief stores across the country by fiscal 2030 through March 2031.
Among other convenience store operators, Seven-Eleven Japan has developed a system through which freight trucks will be able to deliver goods to its outlets even under traffic restrictions following a major disaster.
FamilyMart plans to introduce sales vehicles installed with NTT Docomo’s communication equipment in 2026 in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, the area hit by a powerful earthquake on New Year’s Day of 2024.
The convenience store operator is considering expanding the disaster support service to other parts of Japan.
In the meantime, experts are calling on the general public to beef up their own disaster preparations, instead of relying too much on convenience stores. Power outages would be a critical blow to store operations and storage space for supplies is limited.
The Japan Franchise Association pointed out in its report compiled in 2024 that convenience store delivery trucks may not be able to operate for at least three days if a powerful earthquake directly hits the Tokyo area, as efforts to save the lives of victims need to be prioritised during that period.
“I hope people will stock necessary items at home before a disaster occurs, because there could be a situation that we cannot deliver goods no matter how hard we try,” said Mr Takeshi Nakazawa at Seven-Eleven’s risk management division. KYODO NEWS
