Trying to rein in food waste and deal with labor shortages, Japan's convenience store chains have been scaling back on sales of oden stew over the past few years. But now, in a reversal of that trend, stores are taking measures to not only meet an increase in early seasonal demand for this traditional winter food, but also to combat COVID-19 infections.
This year's sales season is presenting new chances for the stores to grow their business chances.
In the convenience store industry, oden, consisting of a variety of ingredients stewed in light dashi broth, is called "rejiyoko-shozai," in jargon, or a product at the side of checkout registers. Oden pots tend to be located beside or in between registers. Nearly every customer will end up standing in front of an oden pot at the checkout, making it easy for them to buy a small amount in addition to what they actually come to a convenience store to buy. Thus, convenience stores have every motivation to compete with each other on taste and price.
Lawson Inc. began selling its oden at stores nationwide in late August, about half a month later than usual, after taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Starting this season, Lawson has standardized the price for each ingredient at 90, yen including tax, in principle. In addition, they sell sets of five standard items, such as daikon radish and eggs, for 398, yen also including tax. Oden sales involve customers telling clerks what they want or helping themselves taking oden items from a pot to a container. Lawson believes that the interaction time between customers and clerks will be reduced, and thus fewer droplets are expelled when they are talking back and forth.
In addition, Lawson is covering its pots with lids and has installed acrylic boards in front of the pots.
Seven-Eleven Japan Co., on the other hand, has been selling oden in containers as refrigerated food in its delicatessen section since this season. The price is 298 yen before tax for an assortment of five dishes including daikon radish, eggs and others. It can be kept in a fridge at home and heated up in a microwave.
Customers generally eat takeout oden within several tens of minutes after taking it home or to the workplace. It is assumed that if teleworking becomes further widespread due to the novel coronovirus outbreak, demand will increase for prepared food that stays fresh.
In 2017, the sales volume for oden was about 46 billion yen, and it has expanded since then by several percent. On the other hand, it takes a lot of time and effort for store employees to control the temperatures of the oden pots and replenish the soup stock as needed. It also has been pointed out that food waste is more likely to occur due to oden's short expiration.
In October or later, FamilyMart Co. will start selling packaged oden. After customers choose ingredients, a clerk will pack them for reheating in a microwave. The product has a long in-store shelf life of 180 days, making it less likely to cause food losses and easier for stores to reduce the burdens of preparation and cleanup. Some FamilyMart stores started selling packed oden last season.
"Some customers are concerned about hygiene, so it is popular with both stores and customers," an official of FamilyMart Co. said.
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