Takeshi Niinami, president of Japan’s number two convenience chain Lawson, has said the company will boost its store numbers in China by up to 10 times over the next 10 years as it seeks growth outside its saturated home market.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


“We assume there will be about 30,000 convenience stores in China in five to 10 years. We want to be a player with a 10 percent share,” Niinami said at a press conference.


Lawson currently has about 300 outlets in Shanghai, will also aggressively further its reach into other Asian markets as well.


The company expects operating profit to rise 3% for the year ending February 2010, but is, like many other Japanese companies pinning growth hopes abroad.


Tokyo-based Goldman Sachs analyst Sho Kawano believes that Japan’s retail sector will be most successful where the retailers are dealing with national brands as opposed to private label.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact