Tomoyoshi Oguri, President and CEO of Lawson Store 100, Inc.

2025.01.25

Preserving food traditions that enrich life and creating innovation

◾️Profile
After graduating from Keio University, he went on to graduate school, where he studied information and communications as a scholarship researcher at the University of California, USA. In April 2004, he joined Mitsubishi Corporation. He received an MBA from London Business School, UK. In 2007, he joined Mitsubishi Corporation USA in NYC, in 2014 he became E-Commerce Director for Fast Retailing Asia and Oceania, in 2017 he became COO of Uniqlo Thailand, in March 2022 he joined the Marketing Strategy Division of Lawson, Inc., and in March 2023 he became a Senior Executive Officer of Lawson Store 100, Inc., before being appointed Representative Director and President of the company in April 2024, a position he holds to this day.

Regarding future prospects, President Oguri Tomoyoshi of Lawson Store 100, Inc., said, "I want to create a memorable brand and memorable signature products." We spoke to him about the appeal and features of Lawson Store 100, which offers the convenience of both a convenience store and a supermarket, as well as his thoughts on his valued customers.

◾️My student days taught me how vast the world is

I studied electronic engineering at university and conducted research on information and communications as an engineer. After graduating, I went on to graduate school to continue my research. When I presented a paper at an international conference, I realized that there are many universities and research institutes around the world, and that people from various backgrounds are working hard together toward the goal of making the world a better place. This made me want to spend my time at a university abroad. I sent my paper to a professor at the University of California who was researching a similar field, asking if I could do research with him, and in my second year of graduate school, I conducted research in a lab there as a scholarship researcher. Living with people of various nationalities made me realize once again how big the world is, and I was greatly inspired every day.

◾️I want to accelerate my own performance and growth from a young age.

When I thought about what I wanted to do in the future, because I was in the field of basic research rather than consumer-oriented research during my student days, I began to think more strongly about what impact my work could have on the world. I felt that my interests would change constantly as I saw and was influenced by different parts of the world throughout my life, so I joined Mitsubishi Corporation because I wanted a job where I could define and develop my own work.

As I was an engineer by trade, I was offered positions in IT, communications, space, and other fields, but I wanted to put my engineering knowledge to the test in a completely different consumer field, so I applied to the apparel department and was assigned there. Compared to heavy, lengthy fields, I thought it would be easier to understand more quickly what kind of performance I was producing and what kind of impact I was making from a young age. I was fortunate to have been surrounded by extremely talented and ambitious seniors from an early stage in my career, who inspired me to "become a manager who contributes to the world." I wanted to grow as quickly as possible through my daily work and become a manager.

◾️Characteristics of being positioned between a convenience store and a supermarket

Convenience stores are found in every area, especially in urban areas, but supermarkets are relatively large, so many people tend to go a little further away when they have time. Lawson Store 100 aims to be somewhere in between, targeting areas where customers can easily shop without having to go to a large supermarket. It operates 644 stores (as of the end of October 2024) primarily in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. Our product lineup includes not only ready-to-eat items like bento boxes and beverages, the strength of convenience stores, but also fresh produce, fish pastes, and other items for home meals, as well as a wide range of non-food necessities. We believe that areas closer to residential areas are more suited to customer needs than commercial buildings and office districts. The ratio of locations near train stations to residential areas is 2:8, with many customers visiting our stores as a substitute for their local or household refrigerators for daily groceries and top-ups.

◾️Aiming for emotional shopping and truly serving customers

When I took over as manager of Lawson Store 100, I assumed that the markets for clothing and food are very different, so the environments and ways of thinking would be completely different. Of course, there are many differences, but when viewed in a broader sense, as both are in the same consumer retail sector, I feel that the essentials and principles remain consistent.

Lawson Store 100 is located in the Lawson Group, somewhere between a convenience store and a supermarket, offering a supermarket-style product lineup including daily necessities, while maintaining the specifications of a convenience store. Establishing branding for each product category is extremely important, and the store is constantly releasing products that make customers say, "I wish I had this" or "Wow!"

We hope to create a sales floor where customers can not only shop, but also feel emotionally "interested" and "excited." To that end, we offer unique products such as high-calorie foods that allow for efficient energy intake, and the ultra-simple "Dake Bento" that focuses on just one side dish, such as sausage or omelet. The "Dake Bento" series has sold a total of over 592 million meals (as of the end of October 2024), making it one of Lawson Store 100's signature products.

When considering what kind of products to offer, rather than just thinking about products and prices as "our company," we think deeply about what our customers truly feel and want. Thinking about what our customers truly want, at what quality, and at what price, rather than focusing on our profits, can lead to many contradictions and conflicts as a business. However, sales are our customers' evaluation of us and our report card, so we believe that a company cannot grow unless it can truly contribute to its customers.

To that end, I always try to use the word "customer" in various situations. By using "customer" as the subject in meetings, the perspective of decision-making changes, so I think it is important to consciously use this word in discussions.

◾️Tradition and innovation in food

As the food industry evolves daily, we believe that in order to realize the Lawson Group's slogan, "A Hot Station in Your Neighborhood," our business approach must evolve even more. COVID-19 has significantly changed people's eating habits and lifestyles. While leveraging our strengths as a convenience store group, we are constantly updating how we can contribute to the daily needs of each household.

Food culture is very traditional, and there are large regional differences, such as the different types of dashi stock used in Kanto and Kansai, which have become established in the area and have been passed down through the generations. While placing importance on traditional elements that have been deeply rooted, we also believe that innovation that leads the times is necessary. As a company, we will continue to pursue and provide new ideas and approaches that will allow us to lead the times.

We feel that there are many products in our current product lineup that people would find "great" if they knew about them. There is still a lot of room for growth in corporate branding and product-specific marketing, so we will strengthen our efforts to clearly communicate who we are, what products we make, and what value we provide.

◾️Message to students

I hope you will cherish the accumulation of daily growth, no matter what it may be. I myself want to grow every day, and this idea has been very important to me since I was young. If you grow 1% a day, in a year you will grow 38 times, which is 1.01 to the 365th power. Over two or three years, the difference will be thousands or tens of thousands of times. I hope you will cherish the idea of taking one step forward and growing, whether it's 1% each day compared to who you were yesterday, whether it's in terms of your feelings, skills, or anything else.

We believe that the essence of food is the moments that make us smile when we eat, the joy of eating with others, and the enrichment of our lives. Because we are facing such big topics, we would love to work with people who have the ambition to contribute to society and the world.

Student Newspaper Online December 16, 2024 Interview by Toyo University sophomore Rinno Koshiyama

Musashino University, 4th year Nishiyama Ryusei / Toyo University, 2nd year Koshiyama Rinno / Tsuda University, 2nd year Ishimatsu Karin / Keio University, 3rd year Yamamoto Sayori / Sophia University, 3rd year Shirasaka Himari