FamilyMart Japan investing in New Labour Technology

The FamilyMart Co. logo is displayed outside the company's convenience store in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012. Sales at Japan's convenience stores declined 3.3 percent in July from a year ago on a same-store basis, according to the Japan Franchise Association. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg

Japanese convenience store FamilyMart Holdings is preparing to invest ¥25 billion (US$223 million) on labour-saving technologies.

The firm will partner with tech firm Panasonic to introduce self check-out, digital displays and other similar devices which automate procedures traditionally undertaken by staff.

The investment is intended to serve the brand’s franchisees who have been burdened with high labour costs in order to keep stores open around the clock.

Both FamilyMart and its larger competitor 7-Eleven have felt pressured to let go of their 24-hour store policies in the face of a tightening labour market.

They are also looking at other ways to ease the financial burden on franchisees.