Japan convenience store operators expand digital signage to spur purchases

TOKYO – Japan’s three major convenience store chains are expanding digital signage to spur purchases and generate advertising revenue amid sluggish growth in customer numbers.FamilyMart installed screens at about 12,000 stores by September after fully launching the business in 2021, a move modelled after US retail giant Walmart, which diversified revenue through advertising businesses including digital signage.FamilyMart generally runs 15-second ads above checkout areas, with its operator saying the screens have increased customers’ interest in using advertised products and services.The ad placements between the fiscal years ended February 2024 and February 2026 showed that about 80% of them came from companies and local governments whose products and services are not sold at FamilyMart stores.“Our goal is to raise digital signage revenue in the business year ending February 2029 to 1.6 times the level in the year ending February 2027,” the operator’s spokesperson said.Seven-Eleven Japan has deployed digital signage in roughly 3,700 stores, targeting expansion to around 8,700 outlets during the business year ending February 2027.Having established a joint venture with advertising giant Dentsu Group and CyberAgent, Seven-Eleven aims to deliver optimised advertisements tailored to time slots and store inventory levels by leveraging their creative expertise and artificial intelligence technologies.Lawson currently operates digital signage at about 100 stores. Mitsubishi and KDDI, which jointly control Lawson, have formed a joint venture to run the business and strengthen customer engagement.Lawson will also provide disaster prevention information and entertainment content, with plans to expand the rollout to 3,000 stores by summer 2027. KYODO NEWS