Seven-Eleven Japan Co plans to strengthen security at its convenience stores as more are being run by a single employee overnight due to a severe labor shortage.
Under the new security system, employees will control access to the store, using a remote control to allow entry when a sensor detects that a customer has arrived at the entrance door, sources said.
Convenience stores nationwide are struggling with a persistent worker shortage and rising wages, leading to more stores being operated by just one or two people during certain hours.
Such stores often become a target of robbery and assaults, and they are more susceptible to such emergencies as disasters and employees suddenly falling ill.
The operator of the 7-Eleven brand has already installed the system at some stores on a trial basis and will expand it to more outlets from around May, the sources said.
The company will also set up partitions at the cash register to prevent potential violence against employees, according to the sources.
Outlets operated by a single employee have become a social problem in the service sector in recent years, forcing many franchises, such as beef bowl store operator Sukiya, to cut business hours amid mounting concern over workers' welfare.
The situation is particularly severe in the convenience store industry as many brands employ 24-hour operations to expand sales, leading many store owners to run their outlets singlehandedly when there is no one else to help them.
Seven-Eleven plans to limit the business hours when such one-man operations are allowed from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. even after the new security system is introduced, the sources said.
© KYODO
8 Comments
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Sanjinosebleed
Or due to them being unwilling to pay fair wages or two staff!?
JeffLee
They probably can't afford to pay because their parent company, Seven i, earns tiny profits that are rapidly in decline. Rival Circle-K, however, earns about 8 times its profit with a lot fewer stores! This is why it Alimentation Couche-Tard needs to take over Japan's 7-11s -- they could afford to be pay higher wages or put on extra staff for they sake of their staffs' security.
John-San
It really annoys me when these franchise owners complain about rising wages. Before they sign on they knew exactly where they rely on the best margins per week, and the main margin is wages to hours worked. So expecting that the disgusting minimum wages will always be disgusting. Real wages have gone backward and the minimum wage has risen but under the rate of inflation so you get the effect of real wages buy less then when they sign on. These owners relied of the wages of the weak of society for their best producing margin. I say bad luck you can either worked more hours themselves to reduce the worker wage output which will see the worker go looking for a job with more hours. So the owner is now in the position of leaving the worker hour as it is and cop the rise in the hourly rate. Only option is to go the Franchise head and ask to rise prices which will be a battle. Or closing down. Like the Ramen owners of today. There is too many convenience store in the area and something have give. Prices or closures. simple. Moral to the story is don,t feed of the bottom of society the weak minimum wage earner.
Rakuraku
That should be the norm for all their outlets, at least between 1:00 and 6:00. What a waste of energy for so few customers!
リッチ
“severe labor shortage”
fake news frankly. Pay people fairly and they will work for you. There is only a shortage of companies willing to hire FULL TIME with VISA SPONSORSHIP. There are millions wanting to work bit profits and poor management hide behind this “sever shortage” nonsense.
sakurasuki
Outlets that unwilling to hire more than one employee, don't blame that to labor shortage please.
obladi
A lot of their late night customers must be buying beer and cigarettes. If vending machines could handle the age verification a bit better, they could avoid interacting with one segment of troublesome customers.
sakurasuki
@obladi
There's card for that.
https://s.taspo.jp/taspo/www.taspo.jp/english/index.html