Revenue of the leading Japanese retail companies worldwide FY 2021

In fiscal year 2021, Seven & i Holdings was the leading Japanese retail company with retail sales amounting to around 77 billion U.S. dollars. Seven & i Holdings is the parent company of the convenience store chain 7-Eleven, Inc., but also operates other retail formats in the domestic market through its subsidiaries.

The state of wholesale and retail

The wholesale and retail industries were the largest industries in Japan, with a quarter of business establishments in the tertiary economic sector operating in wholesaling or retailing. While retailers accounted for the majority of registered businesses within the industry, wholesalers dominated in the sales of goods. More than 400 trillion Japanese yen in annual sales were generated through wholesale trading.
The industry also played a major role in the creation of jobs in Japan, especially for in-store staff. Over ten million people were employed in the domestic wholesale and retail trade industry, the highest number across all economic sectors in the country.

Konbini: retail around-the-clock

The Japanese retail industry encompassed a variety of store-based point of sales ranging from large shopping malls with a broad product assortment to convenience stores focused on everyday goods. Convenience stores, commonly shortened as konbini, are especially popular among consumers with their around-the-clock services. The number of convenience stores in operation exceeded 56 thousands in recent years, offering customers a variety of services apart from the sales of foodstuff, such as postal dispatching, payment services for bills, and ATMs.
The convenience store landscape is mainly lead by three retail chains, operated by Lawson Inc., FamilyMart Co. Ltd., and 7-Eleven Japan, a subsidiary of the first ranked Japanese retailer.