SUSTAINABILITY Customer Relations

Delivering Superior Taste

Basic Concept

Here at Lawson, we work tirelessly to plan and develop original products that add richness and good taste to daily life through our familiar community stores, including food products that deliver superior taste and other daily necessities. In order to identify the needs of customers and be able to respond to changes in needs, we analyze purchase data from point cards and customer opinions* on social media to develop products that offer new value.
For existing products as well, members from the department that manages the “Lawson Customer Center” inquiry counter and departments that develop products gather and examine how products can be improved based on customers’ opinions reported to the Customer Center monthly. We introduce some of the products that have been improved as a result on our official website as “Initiatives Born from Customer Feedback.”
Furthermore, to provide products to customers appropriately, we put in the effort to provide proper indications using displays in stores, on product labels, and on the website in order to prevent children, elderly people, or pregnant women from mistakenly purchasing food that may negatively influence them such as alcohol or allergens.

* We analyze point card purchase data and customer feedback in a way that ensures that individuals cannot be identified.

Initiatives in the Procurement of Raw Materials

The Lawson Group handles many original food products such as rice products, store-cooked side dishes, and desserts. As such, in order to provide our customers with products on a daily basis, we must ensure the stable procurement of raw materials such as agricultural, livestock, and marine products.
In our efforts to assure group stores maintain a stable supply of vegetables and fruits that support the healthy eating habits of our customers, we have established Lawson Farm, a corporation qualified to own cropland, with member farms at locations nationwide. Lawson Farms employ the Nakashima method of farming, which involves conducting soil diagnoses to develop ideal soil for growing crops before planting and supplies appropriate nutrition according to the growing conditions to produce healthy, delicious vegetables and fruits. We are also working to satisfy the GAP (JGAP, ASIAGAP) guidelines for sustainable agricultural production through efforts in the areas of quality improvement, food safety and environmental protection.
In the future, we will continue our efforts to reduce risks associated with procuring raw materials by working to further ensure animal welfare and sustainable raw material procurement.

Development and Adoption of Products Made with Consideration for People’s Health

To encourage healthy eating habits among customers of all ages, the Lawson Group strives to create sales areas where products made with consideration for people’s health can be purchased at neighborhood stores. In developing and marketing products, we aim to create greater tasting products while giving consideration to health based on 10 themes from our own standards, including products with which customers can intake nutritional components such as protein and dietary fiber to help solve their lifestyle issues. Meanwhile, we are working on the development of products that can help to control sugar, salt, and fat intake for customers who have physical issues such as obesity, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome.

Find out more about Lawson’s health initiatives

Providing Products to Customers Appropriately

Preventing the Sale of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco to Persons Under 20 Years of Age

The Lawson Group sells alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, and we recognize that it is our corporate social responsibility to take appropriate measures to prevent under-20s from drinking and smoking. In addition, based on the fact that drinking and smoking by those under 20 years of age poses a high risk of health effects and other negative consequences, we have established a system to prevent the sale of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes to those under 20 years of age, mainly at our stores, and are making efforts such as issuing notices. On the customer screens of point-of-sales (POS) cash registers, which are often seen by customers, we inform customers that the sale of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes is prohibited to those under 20 years old, and we ask for proof of identification to those customers who appear to be under 20 years old.
In accordance with the guidelines, sales promotion materials displayed in areas of stores where alcoholic beverages are sold also clearly state that we will not sell alcoholic beverages unless we can confirm the customer is 20 years of age or older.
Furthermore, for trial vouchers, which allow customers to exchange Ponta points or d-points for eligible products at in-store Loppi multimedia terminals and apps, we do not display alcoholic beverage products on the screen when Ponta and d-point membership information shows that a member is under 20 years of age. In addition, the system is set to return to the top screen of Loppi after issuing a trial voucher for alcoholic beverages, so that if the next person in line after issuing a trial voucher for alcoholic beverages is under 20 years of age, he or she cannot then be issued with a voucher for alcoholic beverages.
In addition, three times a year we step up our efforts to prevent under-20s from drinking and smoking in cooperation with the Japan Franchise Association. On these occasions, we work to prevent the sale of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes to under-20s by informing customers and educating store employees.

▲ Customer screen on a point-of-sales (POS) cash register

▲Top screen of Loppi

Training for Employees

Stores that sell alcoholic drinks are required to have and submit notification of liquor sales managers who have completed the prescribed training. We work to prevent the sale of alcoholic drinks to persons under 20 years of age by providing store employees with the necessary advice and training to ensure that they perform their duties in compliance with laws and regulations regarding the sale of alcoholic drinks, by making sure that they take measures such as checking customers’ age with an ID, except for customers who seem definitely above the age of 20.
In addition, three times a year we step up our efforts to prevent under-20s from drinking and smoking in cooperation with the Japan Franchise Association. On these occasions, we inform customers as well as educate store employees.

Sales of Non-alcoholic Beverages, etc.

We sell non-alcoholic beverages at Lawson Group stores that handle alcoholic beverages. In addition, in response to customer needs for products with lower alcohol content, we are working with breweries to develop products with lower alcohol content than conventional products.

Proper Indications on Products and Providing Information to Customers Proactively

Establishment of a System to Check Indications on Products in Advance

In order to prevent improper labeling, we have a system in which the CR Manager is in charge of labeling management and manages and supervises the employees belonging to that department. Each department has established a checklist and approval flow for the prior review of labeling and other matters. In accordance with this flow, information that forms the basis for labeling is collected and confirmed, and the quality control and legal departments conduct reviews, with the ultimate rule being to label only those items confirmed as appropriate. The information on which the labeling is based is shared among the relevant departments so that they can confirm that the labeling is appropriate at each stage, from product development to sales promotion, and is also stored for a certain period of time so that it can be checked later down the line.
The CR Manager reviews the establishment, effectiveness, and check flow of the labeling examination system in line with that department's own operations, and reports the results of the review to the Intellectual Property/Free Gift Labeling Measures Subcommittee and the Compliance and Risk Management Committee Meeting every year to maintain an appropriate examination system.
We provide various training programs, such as the Intellectual Property/Free Gift Labeling Measures Subcommittee, the Compliance and Risk Management Committee Meeting, and training for merchandisers (MDs) when they are appointed, which are designed to inform and enlighten employees on things including how the labeling pre-screening system should be, examples of problematic cases, and ideal responses.

* CR Manager: The person in charge of the department responsible for controlling issues related to compliance with laws and regulations in the department and establishing and implementing a system to prevent risks.

Providing Product Information to Customers

Lawson displays information on its original products by attaching labels that indicate the product name, use-by date, ingredients, etc. Other than the seven specific raw ingredients that are required to be listed as allergens, Lawson also voluntarily indicates 21 other items that are equivalent to these specific raw ingredients so that small children and people with allergies can eat products with peace of mind. The contents of the labeling are strictly checked by the quality control department, as well as by third parties and at the manufacturing stage, in a double and triple check system.

Product Information Label Attached to Products

End of August 2023

Click here to view data on the number of violations related to labeling

Lawson displays the calories, allergen information, and nutritional information for some products on the Product Information page of our official website.
Furthermore, from June 2023, we created a page called “Our Initiatives for the Safety and Security of Food” on our official website in which we answer questions frequently asked by customers.

Product Information page of our official website

On our website, prices, calories, whether or not any of the seven allergy-related specific raw ingredients are used, as well as nutritional components such as protein and fat are indicated.




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