Now buying cheap everyday goods is even more convenient than before!

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a lot of stress, grief, and uncertainty, but with the difference in lifestyle that’s come with the pandemic, in some ways life almost seems more convenient than ever. For example, soon you might be able to buy your favorite 100-yen shop products at your local Japanese 7-Eleven, without going out of your way to a Daiso!

Due to social distancing and “stay-home” recommendations, the commercial sphere of individual Daiso stores–Japan’s biggest, and arguably most popular, 100-yen retail chain in the country–has shrunk significantly. Customers who would ordinarily shop there for everyday goods like disposable kitchen products are less willing to go out of their way to a Daiso. As such, customers have been looking for a more convenient and close-to-home option for buying those items, though still at a reasonable price.

That’s why 7-Eleven and Daiso have partnered up to bring Daiso products to 7-Eleven shelves. As a trial, 200 7-Elevens in Kanagawa and Hokkaido have already been carrying Daiso products since 2021, and the results were very promising. Sales of everyday items at the 7-Elevens that stocked Daiso products increased by 20 percent compared to 2020.

With the success of these trial runs, Daiso and 7-Eleven are now expanding their partnership to ten thousand stores, meaning about half of 7-Eleven’s stores will gradually begin stocking Daiso products, with a focus on everyday convenience items like paper towels and disinfectant wipes. The rollout will start with 7-Elevens in eastern Japan, and if sales continue to be favorable, will gradually expand to western Japan. Daiso goods are expected to start appearing in more 7-Elevens starting this month, though exact dates have not been disclosed.

For those of us who love Daiso products–including our Japanese-language reporter Go Hatori, who is our designated 100-yen shop product tester–having easier access to their products could be a game-changer. Here’s hoping they roll it out across the country sooner rather than later!

Source: Nikkei News via Otacom
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