FamilyMart, one of the largest convenience store chains in Japan and South Korea, has arrived in the Philippines. Ayala Corporation and the Rustan’s group recently opened the local flagship store of the international franchise in Glorietta 3, and are currently working on opening more branches in the country. And while the brand’s launch was met with little fanfare, a visit to the store revealed plenty of shoppers queuing up at the checkout counters.
Though it now caters to a Filipino market, FamilyMart retains its Japanese character. Japanese snacks like onigiri, maki, and sandwiches speckled with sesame seeds abound in its displays.
The Glorietta store also features the “FamilyMart collection”, which is a tribute to all things chocolate. They also have all-you-can-swirl soft ice cream at the self-service counter. So, if you can somehow find a way to put a foot of ice cream inside your cone, you’d be golden.
They also have the staple hot dogs and fried chicken meals, and carry the usual convenience store goods. But the main draw lies in their readily available Japanese snacks. Pretty soon, we could all just be a block or two away from having an onigiri, rather than a 7-11 or Mini-Stop hotdog.
Although we have yet to see if the franchise can truly go toe-to-toe with the other established convenience stores in the Philippines, FamilyMart’s unique offerings have marked this newest competitor as one to watch out for.
Have you been to the FamilyMart stores in Japan and Korea? Any items you’d like them to stock here? Will you take advantage of the self-serve soft ice cream like I will? Let us know in the comments!
[Thumbnail source: Saijo Daily Photo]
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