Japanese C-Store Chain Family Mart Has Three-Year For Multiple Screens In 16K+ Stores

August 30, 2021 by Dave Haynes

The Japanese C-store chain FamilyMart has announced a serious investment in in-store digital, with a three-year plan to deploy multiple screens across a footprint of more than 16,600 neighborhood convenience stores.

Japan Today reports:

This month Family Mart announced a new digital media and advertising plan in which FamilyMart branches around Japan will be equipped with several large-screen digital displays that transmit not only advertisements but also entertainment, art, and news. Specific media content can also be tweaked depending on regional customer preferences and even the time of the day.

The idea for the digital signage push came about as a response to trends regarding the diversity of ways in which consumers digest media, with FamilyMart citing the expansion of digital marketing techniques used by some major retailers in the U.S., as well as the increased prevalence of digital advertisements in Japan on public transportation and in train stations as well as outdoor spaces.

To test out the effectiveness of such strategies, digital signage was installed in a number of FamilyMart locations in September 2020, and the results were positive enough that the new joint venture was green-lit for development. For the new project, FamilyMart is partnering with Data One, a Japanese advertising firm established in October 2020 to develop advanced digital advertising services.

In addition to making it easier to track advertising effectiveness based on in-store purchases, the organizers hope Family Mart’s new digital signage project will help prevent potential fraud victims by displaying warnings about bank-transfer and gift card scams.

The chain says it serves roughly 450 million customers per month, which is a huge potential audience for promoting brands sold in the stores.

The Japan Today piece suggests FamilyMart hopes to deploy screens in 3,000 store locations by next spring and equip all locations within the next three years.

Trying to root around for more detail is a bit tough even with Google Translate, so I don’t really know who supplies software and hardware here. The Taiwanese company Cayin has a case study online about working with the chain in Taiwan, but it traces back 14 years.