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罗森(Lawson)便利店眼中的日本商机

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2019年11月27日

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罗森(Lawson)便利店眼中的日本商机

每隔两三个街区,转过一个街角都能看到一家便利店,这是日本独有的风景。也正是因为如此景象,人们应该都会认为日本的便利店市场已经非常饱和了。但是近日,在中国等新兴市场势头正旺的连锁便利店罗森(Lawson)的高层表示,他们在看似饱和的日本市场看到了机遇。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识:

saturation 饱和

shabby 破旧的

perennial 长久的、持续的

Seven & I Holdings 柒合伊控股(7-11所属公司)

nascent 新生的

Lawson still sees big growth potential in Japan(555words)

By Robin Harding

It can feel like there is a convenience store on every street corner in Japan,but according to the head of number two operator Lawson there is still massive potential for growth.

“The first question from foreign investors is always: ‘When is the saturation point?You guys are opening up like crazy',” said Genichi Tamatsuka in an interview with the Financial Times. “‘Not yet,' I tell them,” he said.

Mr. Tamatsuka's comments are a reminder that despite Japan's difficult demographics there are still opportunities in what remains an enormous retail market.

Lawson plans to open 1,200 new stores in Japan this year on top of its existing 12,000,while closing 750,for a net increase of more than one shop a day. Mr. Tamatsuka argues that it is the very ageing and depopulation of rural Japan that creates an opening.

“There are 55,000 convenience stores in Japan,” he said. “Thirty years ago there were 1.6m retail stores in total and now there are less than 1m. If you go to the countryside,there are places where the supermarket is gone,the bookshop is gone,and the number of places to shop has really fallen.”

Meanwhile,family units are shrinking,women are working,and they are busier,said Mr. Tamatsuka. “Whereas people used to go to a big supermarket and prepare meals for a family of four or five,now they're busier,they're older,and they prefer to buy in a small neighborhood store.”

In many countries convenience stores are shabby vendors of lottery tickets and packets of cigarettes,but in Japan the “combini”,as they are known,are brightly lit,market-tested venues for a panoply of products and services. Customers can pay bills,pick up a new videogame,send a parcel or book concert tickets.

In areas where other stores are absent,Lawson can step in,said Mr. Tamatsuka. “With our scale of 12,000 stores,our supply chain and platform,we can supply food and necessities to these neighborhoods.” Convenience stores,he points out,are only 5 per cent of total retail outlets.

In taking over the top job last year,Mr. Tamatsuka was following a charismatic chief executive for the second time in his career.

In 2002,he was promoted to run Fast Retailing's Uniqlo clothing chain at the age of just 39,after successfully launching its UK operation. But in 2005,founder Tadashi Yanai pushed him aside and became chief executive again.

At Lawson he is following Takeshi Niinami,who left to run the drinks company Suntory Holdings after 12 hard-charging years in which the convenience store grew steadily but remained a perennial number two to market leader Seven & I Holdings.

Mr. Tamatsuka said there are some signs of an improvement in domestic consumption,which has lagged behind a recovery in the corporate sector,with real wages hit by last year's rise in sales tax.

“It's been a year since the consumption tax rise. From May and June it feels like there's been a small pick-up,” he said. “It's really important heading into the summer and autumn that we generate some momentum in consumption.”

International expansion is the other growth area for Lawson,which like many Japanese retailers is trying to export its level of customer service. It has 500 stores in China and nascent chains in Thailand,Indonesia and the Philippines.

1.What is the focus of Lawson's investors' curiosity?

A.Profitability of convenient store

B.Saturation point of the market

C.Productivity of Lawson's employee

D.Influence of government regulation

[1] 答案

2.Which Japanese company is the number one market-shareholder in the retail industry?

A.Lawson

B.Seven & I Holdings

C.Tesco

D.Target

[2] 答案

3.What happened to the amount of the convenient store in Japanese market comparing with the number from 30 years ago?

A.Smaller

B.Larger

C.No change

D.Don't know

[3] 答案

4.Where do people prefer to go to nowadays when they need to prepare a meal?

A.Shopping mall

B.Farmers' market

C.Convenient store

D.Big supermarket

[4] 答案

[1]答案:B.Saturation point of the market

解释:文章第二段作者提到了罗森的投资者最常关心的问题就是“什么时候市场达到饱和点?”

[2]答案:B.Seven & I Holdings

解释:文章倒数第四段讲到Lawson一直是第二名,排在Seven & I Holdings之后。而Tesco是英国公司,Target是美国公司。

[3]答案:A.Smaller

解释:文章第五段一开头就引用了Lawson的二把手,点出和30年前比较,现在的便利店数量少了很多。

[4]答案:C.Convenient store

解释:文章第六段讲了现在因为日本家庭组成变了,人们不再去大超市买材料准备饭食而是到便利店快速地买一点解决。

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