Why does Lawson have the aim of being “new hubs of refreshment in every community?”

For business opportunities!

Lawson Group was established in 1975. For almost 50 years, we have taken the lead in the evolution of convenience stores while supporting people’s lives and food culture. There have been huge changes in people’s lives and in food culture just in the 50 years. People’s consumption behavior is also rapidly changing under the impact of the pandemic.

We view Lawson Group as being a “business that responds to change.” One of Lawson Group’s greatest strengths is its ability to perceive changes among people and changes in communities, including changing purchasing behavior, increasing health consciousness, and the greater awareness of environmental issues, and to convert those changes into business opportunities with an understanding of the characteristics of the regions where stores are located.

Lawson’s 14,656 stores nationwide, and the 6,117 franchise store owners and approximately 180,000 crew members support “our communities” while Lawson Group has the support of around 10,000 employees.

This involves people’s lives, and as long as life continues to change, the business opportunities for Lawson Group are limitless. Lawson Group accurately perceives business opportunities in each region alongside its numerous members.

For society!

Ensuring safety and security is essential to supporting people’s lives and food culture.

In order to provide a “superior taste” to customers, safety and security comes first, and we put all of our effort into the stable supply of ingredients while also complying with safety-related laws and ensuring quality management. For example, at Lawson, we are expanding LAWSON Farm Corporation qualified to own cropland nationwide in order to stably supply fruits and vegetables.

We are also preparing for large-scale disasters for the purpose of business continuation while also aiming to continue the operation of stores by promptly taking various disaster response measures in order to fulfill our role as a lifeline for the community when disasters occur.

As hubs of refreshment in every community, Lawson is earnestly confronting the issue of store waste, including food waste, plastic bottles and cardboard, and is engaging in the reduction of waste and accurate waste processing based on environmental policies. The reduction of food loss is a particularly serious issue, and we are putting great effort into reducing food loss through a combination of waste control and recycling.

It’s Lawson’s Mission!

Lawson Group is a corporate group that is expanding its business for the sake of the happiness of the community.

The motivation that drives us is the Group philosophy, “Creating Happiness and Harmony in Our Communities,” which will always be our desire.

Based on this philosophy, Lawson Group has stated Three Promises as its business policy. These promises of “superior taste,” “human kindness” and “environmental (Machi) friendliness” are the basis of the Challenge 2025 medium-term management vision that we are now engaging in toward the year 2025, and they form the base approach to the projects of the Sweeping Transformation Executive Committee that was set up toward the realization of new forms of convenience.

While the business environment undergoes huge changes, we will continue to be close beside the community and beside our customers as we grow together based on the strong desire and mission for Lawson to change with the community for the “happiness of the community.”

Can profit be made in such a challenging business environment?

We are making “transformations” in response to upheavals in the business environment!

In a bid to achieve growth in the post-COVID “new normal” society, in September 2020, we established the Lawson Group Sweeping Transformation Executive Committee and started initiatives to realize growth strategies for the entire Group.

This Committee is providing agile management based on strong leadership centering on the business policy of the “Three Promises” and with the President serving as a Committee member. As of fiscal 2022, the Committee has been promoting the following 10 updated projects, as well as Group company business activities and SDG promotional activities.

Why can Lawson say that it’s sustainable?

Because we have a flexible corporate culture that adapts to changes in communities!

Since its establishment, Lawson has responded proactively to changes in society and developed new products and services.

We commenced 24-hour operation in 1977 in response to customer needs. In 1983, we started copying and printing services. In 1998, we introduced the “Loppi” multimedia terminals to all stores in Japan. ATMs began to be installed in 2001.

We also started NATURAL LAWSON in 2001 and LAWSON STORE 100 in 2005 for the expansion of business and business areas. In 2011, we established Lawson HMV Entertainment (currently Lawson Entertainment). In 2014, we acquired Seijo Ishii and United Entertainment Holdings. We opened Lawson Bank in 2018.

To engage in the resolution of social issues, we opened the in-hospital convenience store Hospital LAWSON in 2000, established LAWSON Farm in 2010, and opened the first Care-focused LAWSON in 2015 as an in-store nursing care center.

Lawson, which started as a handyman in the community, continues to remain close to changes in our communities and is now a component of infrastructure in society.

Because we contribute to the realization of a sustainable society!

At Lawson Group, we classify the material issues (materialities) with respect to the value chain into six categories based on the Three Promises to customers enumerated in our business policy, and in consideration of pertinent social issues and circumstances. In fiscal 2021, material issues were selected and KPIs were set for the main Group companies. The entire Lawson Group will continue to engage in the resolution of social and environmental issues.

The SDGs Committee was established in March 2019 to tackle the SDGs, and the President was inaugurated as the CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer) in March 2021. The SDGs Promotion Department (current SDGs Promotion Office) was also established and began operating as a full-time department.

In 2019, the “Lawson Blue Challenge 2050!” environmental vision was formulated as a long-term target toward resolving environmental issues. In order to contribute through this vision to the ideal world that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to realize, we have set and are engaging in the goals (KPIs) for 2030 and 2050 through our initiatives to address environmental issues, such as reducing CO₂ emissions, reducing food loss, and reducing plastic in containers and shopping bags.

Because we are combining all of our efforts!

Lawson Group is building positive relationships with various stakeholders and we are combining our efforts to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

While providing “superior taste” to customers, we are offering products that are safe and secure and healthy as we strive to increase customer satisfaction.

Employees, franchise store owners and crew members are colleagues that are essential to the sustainable growth of Lawson Group. We will continue to put great effort into health and productivity management while also giving consideration to forming comfortable work environments. Diversity is also an important management strategy, and Lawson has the aim of a strong franchise chain by gathering employees with widely varied values so that all employees can fully demonstrate their potential.

Business partners and all local communities are important stakeholders that are essential to the sustainable growth of Lawson Group. Furthermore, Lawson Group could not exist without the support of Mitsubishi Corporation as the major shareholder and as an important business partner.

Lawson Group will continue to work toward sustainable growth while combining the efforts the diverse stakeholders.