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Family Mart




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isaacada1



Joined: 04 Sep 2002
Posts: 779
Location: Snohomish, WA
PostPosted: Sun Sep 04, 2005 10:28 pm Reply with quote
This Japanese Chain Store just opened its first USA branch in West Hollywood. I was curious if anyone here has been to it to see if it sells any anime/manga goods.

http://www.family.co.jp/english/news_releases/050620.html
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linlinchan



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 286
PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 9:33 am Reply with quote
I've been. They've tried to do too much. I was a huge fan of the old Family Mart, while living in Japan, which was just your basic 24-7 convenience store, but with really good premade lunches, and other cool conveniences.

For the US store, the company must have felt that just another 7-Eleven type store wouldn't work, because they've twisted the place into an ugly, coffee shop-cum-upscale gourmet corner store.

As far as anime things go, they had a few shokugan (candy/toys,) but not many, and some Japanese magazines, like Jump and Newtype, but these are all things you could get cheaper at about 20 other stores around the Los Angeles area.
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Abel



Joined: 26 Apr 2003
Posts: 143
Location: AnimeTen.com
PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2005 3:39 pm Reply with quote
Does this mean the Family Mart in Little Tokyo is not an official francise as well? It's also nothing like the ones in Japan.

I personally would love to have Family Mart, or Sunkus here in the US with the same standards as they do in Japan. However I would imagin it being very expensive. I doubt they could get fresh onigiri or sandwiches sent to them 3 - 4 times a day, daily. Shops here don't generate the same volume as they do in Japan. We don't have the same population density where two convenience stores could be across the street from each other, and still be filled with consumers on a regular basis.

7-11 Japan buying out 7-11 US does not mean that our 7-11 will change the way they operate. I wish it did though. Having balanced prices on drinks

At least our 7-11 and AM/PM have fountain drinks, unlike those in Japan. Would be nice if 7-11 here had Fanta Melon Soda.
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linlinchan



Joined: 05 Nov 2004
Posts: 286
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 9:42 pm Reply with quote
The few "Family Marts" in Little Tokyo are not official stores, no.

You know, as much as I'd personally like to have a fully Japanese convenience store here in the states, though, I don't think it'd work here. So, from entirely objective point, I'd say that it makes sense they'd change Family Mart to fit the neighborhood in which it was built here in LA.
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