Japan Convenience Store Owners Complain about Labor Shortages

August 21, 2019

Tokyo- Convenience store franchise owners called for steps to secure the necessary personnel and respond to soaring labor costs during an investigative survey conducted by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry on Wednesday.

In the first round of the survey, held in Tokyo, the ministry asked mainly about shortages of manpower and late-night operations.

A total of some 20 owners are expected to join Wednesday's session, which will continue in the afternoon.

"We'd like to hear frank opinions," a ministry official responsible for the survey said at the beginning of the event.

An owner who took part in the hearing from the central Japan prefecture of Shizuoka stressed before the event began that he wants to explain the actual situation involving labor shortages and sharp rises in labor expenses.

"Franchisees are worried about the future of convenience store operations," he said. "I'd like to speak about (the need to pursue) mutual harmony and benefits between franchisees and headquarters."

Another owner indicated that he would call for lowering franchise royalties.

After Tokyo, hearings are scheduled to be conducted at a total of eight venues in such cities as Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai and Sapporo through the middle of September.

A total of about 120 owners are set to take part in the survey across the country.

Members of an expert panel set up by the ministry in June for discussing ways to innovate convenience store operations will conduct the hearings.

The ministry plans to reflect the results of the survey in an interim report to be compiled by the panel in January next year.

The ministry established the panel following conflicts between franchisees and headquarters over around-the-clock store operations. Jiji Press