FamilyMart
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
FamilyMart (Japanese: ファミリーマート) TYO: 8028 is a "konbini" or convenience store franchise chain in Japan. Established September 1, 1981. FamilyMart is owned and overseen by FamilyMart Co., Ltd. All of the usual Japanese convenience store goods such as magazines, manga, soft drinks, contraceptives, onigiri and bento are available.
FamilyMart's official motto is "FamilyMart, Where You Are One of the Family."
FamilyMart also has franchise stores in Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, Vancouver, British Columbia, and in Shanghai, China. Worldwide, it operates over 12,000 stores, with fast growth in Asia outside of Japan. In Japan, it operates over 6,000 stores.
Beginning in July 2005, FamilyMart began building and opening several stores in Los Angeles, the United States, the first of 250 planned in the USA by 2009. The North American brand name will be "Famima!!".
On January 30, 2006, FamilyMart will begin a trial operation of an automatic cashier station at one Tokyo location, in cooperation with Itochu and Toshiba. Special tags on each item in a shopping basket can be sensed remotely and instantly at the register, and the total cost is immediately displayed.