A Thorough Comparison! From Star Products to Side Dishes… Selecting the “Best Value-for-Money Items” from the Prepared Foods Sections of Japan’s Three Major Convenience Store Chains

“Toshifumi Suzuki, Honorary Advisor to Seven & i Holdings, who passed away on May 18, made a major decision in 2003 while serving as CEO of 7-Eleven Japan. He aimed to boost daily sales of prepared foods at convenience stores—which had previously been around several thousand yen per store—to nearly 100,000 yen.Mr. Suzuki believed that society was shifting from an era where families gathered around the dinner table to eat home-cooked meals to an era where individuals eat whatever they like, whenever they like.
“Since then, not only 7-Eleven but also Lawson and FamilyMart have entered the prepared foods market in earnest, and the three companies have been fiercely competing to develop unique products,” says Shinji Taya, a convenience store researcher.

So, among the hundreds of prepared food items offered by the three major convenience store chains, which one is the “best value-for-money product” that combines great taste and affordability? In this issue of FRIDAY, we’ll determine the number-one product based on the testimony of three experts.

[Click here for Part 1] Rivaling Specialty Shops! A Thorough Comparison: Which Is the “Best Value-for-Money Item” Shining in the “Era of 100 Million People Eating Alone”?

Light and Refreshing Shrimp Mayo

Seven-Eleven offers not only staples like “Grilled Gyoza (5-piece pack)” (332 yen) and“Sichuan-Style Mapo Tofu” (365 yen), but also offers unique Chinese side dishes like “Fluffy Chinese Scrambled Eggs with Pork and Wood Ear Mushrooms” (386 yen).

However, Lawson has a product that successfully sets itself apart from FamilyMart and 7-Eleven’s Chinese-style side dishes in every aspect—satisfying portion size, flavor, and value for money. It’s the “Chongqing Restaurant-Supervised Jumbo Shrimp in Mayo Sauce” (484 yen).

“The large, plump, and juicy shrimp really make a statement. Above all, the sauce on this dish is absolutely delicious.Perhaps because Lawson has many health-conscious fans, the lemon-infused, refreshing mayonnaise sauce is addictive. I highly recommend pouring any leftover sauce over rice. It’s so delicious that if they sold the sauce on its own, I’d buy it without hesitation” (ibid.).

The “best value-for-money items” from Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisines introduced so far are all gems that can take center stage at the dinner table. However, what’s been attracting attention in recent years among convenience store prepared foods are small-portion dishes served in cup containers—commonly known as “cup side dishes.” Using these as side dishes can make your meal even more vibrant.

Lawson sells a variety of cup-style side dishes under its “Eraburu Deli” line. The “Shrimp and Broccoli Salad” (346 yen) is popular among health-conscious consumers because it provides a convenient source of protein.FamilyMart’s “Special Sauce-Seasoned Eggs” (328 yen), part of its “Choi Deli” line, has garnered praise for its sesame oil aroma—similar to the “addictive” “Drug Eggs” that went viral on social media a few years ago—but…

“Currently, 7-Eleven is leading the cup-style prepared food category.They first began selling cup-style side dishes in 2018, changed the series name to ‘Cup Deli’ in 2019, and in 2020 adopted top seals (packaging where a special film is heat-sealed to create an airtight seal). By filling the containers with nitrogen, they’ve improved the flavor and extended the shelf life.In particular, the ‘Octopus, Broccoli, and Hand-Picked Basil Salad’ (300 yen), the ‘Refreshing Glass Noodle Salad with 5 Ingredients’ (213 yen), and the ‘Chicken Nanban to Be Eaten Cold’ (321 yen) are all delicious—I want to choose one based on my mood that day,” says Mr. Ishibashi (mentioned earlier).

In particular, the “Chicken Nanban to Be Eaten Cold” is a clever product that taps into a niche need unique to convenience stores.

“I’d like people who think, ‘Chicken Nanban served cold? Really…’ to give it a try. The sweet-and-sour sauce pairs perfectly with the rich tartar sauce, and you can enjoy it almost like a salad. It’s a very ‘convenience store’-style product—something you can grab quickly and eat on the go,” says Mr. Taya (as mentioned earlier).

While FamilyMart has dominated “Japanese-style” fare and Lawson has dominated “Chinese-style” fare, Seven-Eleven currently holds a slight lead by dominating the “Western-style” and “cup-style prepared meals” categories—though the gap between the three companies is minimal. We hope you’ll use this article as a guide to try each chain’s “top products.”

From the July 10, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*