Hello everyone.
Today, I’d like to talk about the future of convenience store owners in Japan from the perspective of a former franchise owner.
To be completely honest:
👉 Japan’s convenience store industry is facing a serious long-term problem.
That problem is:
👉 a shortage of future franchise owners.
The First Generation Is Retiring
Convenience stores spread rapidly across Japan more than 40 years ago.
Many of the original franchise owners eventually passed their stores down to a second generation — often their children or relatives.
However, that second generation is now approaching retirement age as well.
At the same time, the convenience store industry continued expanding aggressively for decades. As more stores opened, competition between convenience stores themselves became much more intense.
In many areas today:
👉 there are simply too many stores competing for the same customers.
Because of this, many second-generation owners no longer want their own children to inherit the business.
COVID Made the Situation Worse
Then COVID hit the industry.
Some stores survived. Others did not.
I myself eventually withdrew from convenience store management after sales dropped during the pandemic.
And I believe many owners learned the same harsh lesson during that period:
👉 If your business already operates on very small profit margins, one major crisis can destroy everything.
COVID forced many owners to realize how fragile convenience store management can be.
As parents, many owners naturally think:
👉 “I don’t want my children to carry this level of risk.”
Headquarters Companies Understand the Problem
Convenience store headquarters companies are fully aware of this issue.
Recently, some chains have started promoting new career paths such as:
- Working for headquarters first
- Then eventually becoming a franchise owner later
In the past, headquarters employees and franchise owners were usually treated as completely separate career tracks.
But now, the industry appears to be searching for new ways to secure future owners.
Some chains are also reportedly encouraging experienced store employees to become franchise owners in the future.
Will Young People Still Want to Become Owners?
Personally, I think the number of new owners will probably continue to decline.
Japan already faces labor shortages in many industries.
And realistically speaking:
👉 many younger people may not be attracted to a business that involves:
- 24-hour operations
- constant staffing problems
- extremely high responsibility
- relatively limited financial rewards compared to the stress involved
Of course, some stores still perform very well, and some owners earn very good money.
However, overall:
👉 the industry has clearly become more difficult than it was decades ago.
What Happens Next?
That is the big question.
How will major convenience store companies respond to:
- labor shortages
- aging franchise owners
- rising operating costs
- declining numbers of successors
As someone who once ran a convenience store myself, I plan to watch these changes with great interest from the outside.
One final note:
👉 This article is based entirely on public information and my own personal experience and analysis.
I no longer have access to internal company information, so this is not an insider report.
Thank you for reading, and see you next time.
Related Articles
- Why Are Japanese Convenience Stores Open 24 Hours? (Real Reason Explained)
Why Japan’s 24-hour convenience store culture creates major pressure for owners and staff. - Who Works at Japanese Convenience Stores in Japan? (Staff Types Explained)
How the convenience store workforce in Japan has changed over the years. - Is Japan Really a “Manual-Based Society”? — A Convenience Store Perspective
A look at the realities of training, labor, and workplace culture inside Japanese convenience stores.
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