Imagine the economic activity surrounding the roads and allies in a developing country: small cubicle shops trading limited variety of goods from morning till evening, maximum till midnight. But what happens if someone’s needs to buy something after midnight. What of the people who return from their jobs late night only to find empty refrigerators and closed shops around their homes. Luckily, such worries rarely cross one’s mind while living in Japan. Offering expedient lifestyle, the country has thousands of convenient stores spread all around. Now that’s what we call: Cool Lifestyle!
The idea of convenient stores is not alien, most countries have convenient stores. However, what makes Japan unique is the sheer quantity of these convenient stores, often referred with the cool name ‘Konbini’. According to The Japan Franchise Association there were 42,345 convenience stores in Japan as of July 2009- a phenomenal number indeed. You can’t walk on a road after midnight without having sights of a colorful board open 24/7 for your service. Bet it!
And the konbinis are actually convenient. They offer a wide range of goods including: instant ramen, fresh fruits and vegetables, instant curry, snacks, ice creams, water, soda, sweets, juices, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. Everything is placed perfectly in order according to their respective sections and variety with proper price tags. One can walk with a dragging trolley or hand bag to shop around and pay at the main counter. Walking in a konbini seems rarely different than walking in a high-class superstore. And this is not all. These konbinis offer services as ATM, Copier/Fax, Delivery Service, Ticket Reservation etc. They are way cooler than one can imagine.
Amongst the leading konbinis are: Seven Eleven, Lawson, Circle K Sunkus, AM/ PM. Imagine how significantly the konbinis have shaped the lives of people in Japan. If you are hungry at the middle of night, if you return late from home, if you run out of fruits/ vegetables while cooking, if you want paper to hand In an assignment in the morning or if you simply want to smoke and run out of cigarettes. The convenient answer to all these problems is a Konbini. True, life is Japan is easy and luxurious.
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