Why are they in the news so often? Why is the proliferation of “shoplifting videos” from unmanned retailers being reported on TV one after another?
The number of unmanned food vendors has been increasing rapidly as they attract attention as a sales style that meets the non-contact needs of the COVID-19 crisis. The “Gyoza no Yukimatsu” chain of unmanned frozen gyoza shops has so far opened 430 stores in 46 prefectures (excluding Okinawa Prefecture). The rapid growth of this chain has caught the attention of many people, and similar chains have sprung up across the country like bamboo shoots after rain.
The market for unattended frozen gyoza sales has already entered a mature phase, and the past year has seen the emergence of a number of unattended sales chains other than gyoza.
The “24h Unattended Hormone Direct Seller” and “Ouchi de Ohoniku” are unattended sales chains that sell frozen meat and hormone, with 135 and 128 stores, respectively. The Kyushu izakaya chain Hakata Ichibandori Ishokuya Arai has opened 32 unattended frozen yakitori stores, and other unattended frozen food stores selling horse meat, bread, sweets, and local gourmet foods have also sprung up.
The Reality of Shoplifting Damage at Unattended Vending Stores
Unattended vending stores are characterized by a “low-risk, low-return” business model. The initial investment is reasonable, and running costs are low because there are almost no labor costs. Although the profit margin is small, it is unlikely to turn into a loss, which is a favorable factor in this unstable economic environment.
Although the number of shoplifting incidents caught on security cameras has been increasing on TV news, the actual number of shoplifting victims is still a mystery. When we asked this question to the four aforementioned chains, the answers varied greatly from chain to chain.
Gyoza no Yukimatsu and Hakata Ichibantori Ishokuya Arai answered that they have not experienced any notable shoplifting. On the other hand, the “24-hour unmanned hormone shop” responded that “damage varies depending on the location and area where the store is located,” while “Ouchi de Ouchi-no-meat” said “shoplifting is inevitable. The “Ouchi de Onu” (Home De Meat) shop said, “Shoplifting is inevitable, so it is important to confront this problem.
