SSI (Rustan's Tantocos) and the Ayalas have thrown in the towel. Being popular in Japan doesn't necessarily mean it will be popular locally, since majority never heard of Family Mart.



FamilyMart chain for sale | Inquirer Business

In the 24/7 retailing business, competition heated up in the last six years with the entry of new brands that sought to challenge the two leading players 7-Eleven and Mini-Stop, respectively run by Philippine Seven Corp. (PSC) and Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI).

Aside from Family Mart, the Puregold group also brought another foreign brand—Lawson—into the local market while the SM group brought in Indonesian brand Alfamart. Real estate magnate Manuel Villar, for his part, has also built his own convenience store network using his own brand “All Day.”

To date, 7-Eleven and Mini-Stop remain the leading market players. 7-Eleven has breached the 2,000-store network while Mini-Stop has at least 500 stores.

Elsewhere in the Asian region, only the top two players in the convenience store chains tend to be profitable due to the intensity of the logistics requirements that drive returns to scale.