Lawson Inc. will begin selling sashimi at selected stores on Jan. 18, becoming Japan's first convenience store chain to offer sliced raw fish, company sources said Thursday.
In a bid to compete with major supermarkets, Lawson aims to attract elderly consumers in rural regions as well as urban dwellers with the ready-to-eat fresh food, they said.
The move is expected to have an impact on the business strategies of other convenience store chains.
Lawson's sashimi products will include a tuna dish and an assortment of tuna, pickled mackerel and scallops, with prices ranging from 347 yen to 399 yen, the sources said.
Within a month, the sashimi will be sold at 26 Lawson Store 100 outlets -- which sell fresh food products -- in the Kanto region, the sources said.
Lawson Plus stores, which target elderly people, will also begin selling sashimi in March as one of their main fresh food items, the sources said. At the same time, they added, a wider variety of fresh meat and vegetables will also be made available at these stores.
Lawson intends to have more than half its stores handle sashimi in three to five years. Convenience stores have generally refrained from handling fresh fish because refrigerated transport is difficult.
