Taiwan has the highest convenience store density in the world, ahead of even Japan, and sales in the sector are expected to continue to grow to more than NT$300 billion (US$9.31 billion) this year, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Ministry data showed that as of the end of May, Taiwan’s major convenience store chains owned 10,199 outlets, which translated into a density of one store for every 2,304 residents.
The four major chains in the nation are 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, OK Mart and Hi-Life.
Japan had 54,839 stores with a density of one store for every 2,317 residents as of the end of March, ministry data showed.
Convenience store sales in Taiwan are expected to surpass the NT$300 billion mark to hit a record high this year, up from NT$295 billion last year, the ministry said.
In the first five months of this year, revenue generated by the stores rose 5.2 percent from a year earlier to NT$125.9 billion since the stores here have broadened their product and service portfolios by serving fresh coffee and selling concert and train tickets.
Although the number of convenience stores in Taiwan has been on the rise, the pace of the increase has shown signs of moderating, the ministry said.
Last year, the number of stores rose by 56, the slowest increase in six years, while in the first five months of this year, only 12 new stores opened, the ministry said.
The slower pace of expansion reflected the saturated market with a high density and escalating competition in the industry, the ministry said, adding that high growth in new outlets is a thing of the past.
While local chains have scaled down their plans to add new outlets, they have shifted their attention to emerging businesses, such as mobile shopping and e-commerce to boost sales, the ministry said.
STILL HOPEFUL: Delayed payment of NT$5.35 billion from an Indian server client sent its earnings plunging last year, but the firm expects a gradual pickup ahead Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), the world’s No. 5 PC vendor, yesterday reported an 87 percent slump in net profit for last year, dragged by a massive overdue payment from an Indian cloud service provider. The Indian customer has delayed payment totaling NT$5.35 billion (US$162.7 million), Asustek chief financial officer Nick Wu (吳長榮) told an online earnings conference. Asustek shipped servers to India between April and June last year. The customer told Asustek that it is launching multiple fundraising projects and expected to repay the debt in the short term, Wu said. The Indian customer accounted for less than 10 percent to Asustek’s
‘DECENT RESULTS’: The company said it is confident thanks to an improving world economy and uptakes in new wireless and AI technologies, despite US uncertainty Pegatron Corp (和碩) yesterday said it plans to build a new server manufacturing factory in the US this year to address US President Donald Trump’s new tariff policy. That would be the second server production base for Pegatron in addition to the existing facilities in Taoyuan, the iPhone assembler said. Servers are one of the new businesses Pegatron has explored in recent years to develop a more balanced product lineup. “We aim to provide our services from a location in the vicinity of our customers,” Pegatron president and chief executive officer Gary Cheng (鄭光治) told an online earnings conference yesterday. “We
LEAK SOURCE? There would be concern over the possibility of tech leaks if TSMC were to form a joint venture to operate Intel’s factories, an analyst said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday stayed mum after a report said that the chipmaker has pitched chip designers Nvidia Corp, Advanced Micro Devices Inc and Broadcom Inc about taking a stake in a joint venture to operate Intel Corp’s factories. Industry sources told the Central News Agency (CNA) that the possibility of TSMC proposing to operate Intel’s wafer fabs is low, as the Taiwanese chipmaker has always focused on its core business. There is also concern over possible technology leaks if TSMC were to form a joint venture to operate Intel’s factories, Concord Securities Co (康和證券) analyst Kerry Huang (黃志祺)
It was late morning and steam was rising from water tanks atop the colorful, but opaque-windowed, “soapland” sex parlors in a historic Tokyo red-light district. Walking through the narrow streets, camera in hand, was Beniko — a former sex worker who is trying to capture the spirit of the area once known as Yoshiwara through photography. “People often talk about this neighborhood having a ‘bad history,’” said Beniko, who goes by her nickname. “But the truth is that through the years people have lived here, made a life here, sometimes struggled to survive. I want to share that reality.” In its mid-17th to
RSS