FamilyMart

Growth and development

The first FamilyMart opened in Sayama, Saitama Prefecture in 1973.

FamilyMart has franchise stores in the Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, China (Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Suzhou), the United States, and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). In addition, South Korean franchisees operate two stores in North Korea for South Korean visitors and workers in the Kaesong Industrial Region and Mount Kumgang Tourist Region.

As of 31 August 2009, there were 22,444 stores worldwide, with fast growth in Asia outside Japan. There were 9,641 stores in Japan, 7,964 stores in South Korea, 2,952 stores in Taiwan, 1,306 stores in China, 1,193 stores in Thailand, 91 stores in the Philippines, 71 stores in Vietnam, 63 stores in Indonesia, and 9 stores in the USA.

In November 2010, FamilyMart announced it would freeze the number of locations in the United States to 10 stores due to the difficult economic environment. However, operations in certain parts of Asia, especially China, continue to expand.

In October 2013, FamilyMart opened its 10,000th store in Japan.

South Korea (CU)

In June 2012, FamilyMart of South Korea, which was being run by Family Mart Corporation and BGF Retail, was renamed "CU" to create a distinct identity. With the order coming from BGF Retail, FamilyMart announced that they were forced to leave the South Korean market, and to cease operations there. However, BGF Retail indicated a flaw in its plan, and needed FamilyMart back to partially manage CU Stores. Therefore, CU was renamed to "CU with FamilyMart". FamilyMart has considered a return to the South Korean market in the future.

CU (former South Korean FamilyMart stores) had a total of 7,950 stores nationwide in 2013. The motto is "Convenience for you". There is only one FamilyMart in North Korea, in the North and South Korean-operated Kaesong Industrial Park. North Koreans are prohibited from shopping there, and it is only open to South Korean workers in the industrial park

Philippines

FamilyMart was launched in the Philippines on April 7, 2013 under the ownership of Ayala Corporation, Rustan's Group and Itochu. Its first Philippine branch, opened on April 22, 2013, is located at the Glorietta 3 mall in Makati.

Taiwan

As of May 2012, there were around 9,255 convenience stores in Taiwan, which is equivalent of one store per 2,500 people. This is the highest number per capita in the world, and the number is still rising. 7-Eleven is the most popular convenience store in Taiwan, while FamilyMart is the second. In 2012, FamilyMart has a total of 2,851 stores in Taiwan, which accepts the highest bill payments of convenience stores in Taiwan, with over 100 million bills per year.

United States (Famima!!)

Beginning in July 2005, FamilyMart began building and opening several stores in Los Angeles, California, the first of 250 planned for the United States by 2009. The North American brand name is "Famima!!".

Only 9 stores operated at the peak of business, and the company withdrew from the US market in 2015, shuttering the remaining 8 open stores.

Malaysia

Beginning in November 2016, FamilyMart opened its first Malaysia's store at Kuala Lumpur.

Solar power

FamilyMart has had solar power at some of its stores since at least 2004. It aims to increase its solar energy footprint in the future. There are around 45,000 convenience stores in Japan. Lawson run just under 10,000, a market share just behind 7-Eleven, who have about 13,000 stores. Currently, only 20 of Lawson's stores are equipped with solar equipment, but they plan to expand that number ahead of the 1 July 2012 introduction of a "feed-in tariff system", which the government and electricity companies say guarantees purchases of electricity from renewable sources such as solar or wind generators. Surplus power can be sold only after in-store lighting and air-conditioning have been powered.

Automatic cashiers

On 30 January 2006, FamilyMart began trials of an automatic cashier station at one of its Tokyo stores in cooperation with Itochu and Toshiba. Special tags on items in the customer's shopping basket are remotely and instantly sensed at the register.

Labor Commission case by franchise owners

Seventeen convenience store owners of FamilyMart stores formed a union and requested collective bargaining with the company. They were refused and sued. In April 2015 the Central Labor Commission of Japan found that FamilyMart had violated the Trade Union Law by refusing to negotiate with the union. The franchise owners were recognized as employees under the trade union law, and the company was ordered to pledge to the union that it would not to repeat the offence.