What’s Konbini?
The convenience store, known as Konbini for short, is one of the most familiar stores in Japan. There are many chains of Konbini across Japan offering inexpensive products and services. The most convenient aspect of these stores is perhaps that they can be found every 100 metres. Also, they are open 24/7 and sell widely ranged products and services.
You can buy hot snacks, ready-made pasta (and warm it with microwaves in the store!), alcohol, medicines, socks, cosmetics, stationeries, magazines and even umbrellas when it rains. You can also print photos, pay your utility bill, pick up and deliver your parcel, use ATM. In addition, Konibini can even provide proof of residence or birth certificates.
Konbini is even considered a safe spot for people of all generation. For primary school kids who have to wait for their parents to pick them up late at night, Konbini is a common place for them to kill time. Telephone fraud is targeted old people is common in Japan. Konbini staff are trained to recognize unusual behavior such as ATM scams and report it to the police.
Konbini stores are often very small– sometimes as small as 160 square feet. Despite this, Konbini is still very powerful and convenient enough to support everyday life–not just for buying stuff but also looking after the community.
Reason for loving Konbini?
First of all, they are open all day long. In Japan, I was sometimes exhausted by my work as a police officer and rarely came home before midnight. It was convenient to drop into the store rather than take a mile-long walk to the nearest supermarket (usually already closed). I used to buy some foods at Konbini which I ran out of stock at home. The long hours are also appreciated by truck drivers, hospital staff, and other essential workers who have night shifts.
Although Konbini products are cheap, they’re also high quality. You’ll like Konbini food because you won’t spend much money on products. Konbini-sweets can be easily mistaken for ones made by famous cakeshops, despite only costing 1/3 of the better-known brand. There’s a popular TV show in which Michelin-starred chefs taste and evaluate how good Konbini products are.
A good balance between affordability and surprisingly luxury quality is the key to attracting millions of customers every day.
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