Japan's Seven-Eleven has surpassed 10 billion cups in cumulative sales of its freshly brewed coffee as of the end of last month, achieving this milestone in just over 13 years. With customer growth plateauing, convenience stores in Japan are emphasizing the availability of freshly brewed coffee to attract patrons.
The journey for Seven-Eleven's store coffee, known as 'Seven Cafe,' was not smooth from the start. According to the Asahi Shimbun, Seven-Eleven attempted to introduce store coffee as early as 1975, but it failed to gain popularity due to issues with flavor retention. In 1994, the company used pre-ground coffee in cartridges, but this did not capture the essence of freshly ground beans. The espresso launched in 2001 was also unfamiliar to Japanese consumers at the time.
A breakthrough came in 2012 with the development of a dedicated machine that grinds beans on-site and brews coffee using paper filters. In January 2013, this coffee was offered at a base price of 100 yen (approximately $1) including tax. Within months, it was available in all stores, and thanks to its extensive network, 450 million cups were sold within a year.
Before this, consumers had to visit restaurants to enjoy freshly brewed coffee. The convenience of purchasing it at a nearby store 24/7 at an affordable price resonated with customers. At that time, nearly half of Seven Cafe's buyers were women, including many who had never purchased canned coffee before.
Around the same time, competitors began to respond. Lawson launched 'Machicafe' in some stores in 2011, ahead of Seven, while FamilyMart began selling coffee next to the checkout counters in 2013. According to the All Japan Coffee Association, Japan's coffee consumption reached record highs for four consecutive years starting in 2013. Asahi noted that convenience store coffee has contributed to this increase in coffee consumption. Tomohiro Akutsu, president of Seven-Eleven Japan, stated on October 15, "Seven Cafe has changed the coffee standards and lifestyle of the Japanese people."
Japan's convenience store industry is facing stagnation in customer numbers while competing with supermarkets and drugstores on price. To overcome this challenge, stores are differentiating themselves by offering freshly made beverages. As consumer preferences and drinking habits diversify, the menu options are expanding. Seven-Eleven introduced choices for coffee strength—'light,' 'regular,' and 'strong'—in 2022. Starting October 20, they launched three new blends based on customers' moods, each with distinct flavors from different coffee-growing regions. They also introduced black tea and smoothies.
A 29-year-old office worker in Tokyo who frequently visits Seven-Eleven for coffee shared that she buys lattes while driving on weekends or after work. The warm latte, priced at 220 yen including tax for the basic size, offers a rich milk flavor at a lower cost than café prices, making it an affordable option for her.
FamilyMart has introduced an LL-sized coffee this year, catering to the trend of sipping slowly from larger cups. This product has been particularly well-received by younger consumers. Since June of last year, approximately 16,000 stores have been equipped with new coffee machines, allowing customers to choose the coffee strength and the amount of milk in their lattes.
At Lawson's 'Machicafe Plus,' trained staff prepare smoothies with acai and fruit or marshmallow café mochas one cup at a time in-store. This location offers about 15 more menu items than standard stores and is currently operating in around 100 locations. Sadano Takemasu, president of Lawson, announced at a press conference on October 15 that they plan to expand to 200-300 locations by the end of the 2027 fiscal year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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