Local convenience store in Kamisu, Ibaraki Handmade crepes popular early in the morning at 6:00 a.m. Increased early morning demand due to lack of drivers, doubled sales

Osakaya Co. (President: Kohei Osaka, Head Office: Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture), which operates a local convenience store and business inn in Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture, has seen a sharp increase in sales of handmade crepes and other light meal products.

The demand from craftsmen and transportation drivers working at the Kashima Industrial Complex has led to increased support for the handmade products, which are served as early as 6:00 a.m. The crepes, in particular, have been sold over the past three years. Sales of crepes, in particular, have doubled in the past three years, and the company has established a new presence as a community-based convenience store.

Osakaya at 6 a.m.

The Emerging Driver Shortage

According to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, the effective ratio of job openings for truck drivers remains high at about twice the average for all occupations, and the labor shortage has become chronic.

In addition, according to an analysis by the Cabinet Office, the ratio of job offers to applicants is rising amid a recovery in logistics demand, further reinforcing the sense of labor shortage. In addition, the number of drivers in the workforce has been on a long-term downward trend, and the aging of the workforce has also contributed to a structural shortage of workers.

Sales of handmade crepes have doubled in three years.

The company's sales of handmade crepes have increased approximately 5-fold from 2015 and 2.1-fold from 2022.

The percentage of total snack sales has also expanded from 2.86% to 15.5% now.

Approximately 68% of the customers are employees related to the Kashima Industrial Complex, and approximately 45% of sales are concentrated especially during the hours of 6:00 to 8:00 AM. Compared to the same period last year, the number of customers visiting the store has increased by approximately 1.4 times.

Users often comment that they appreciate being able to buy warm, handmade products early in the morning, and that they never get tired of the homey taste, which is rare in convenience stores, and the store is becoming established as a daily "on-site food infrastructure.

The most popular item is the chocolate banana crepe. On many days, more than 50 of these crepes are sold.

Details of Products and Services

The company's products include crepes, onigiri (rice balls), bento boxes, and other snacks handmade in the store.

Crepes are reasonably priced, starting at 350 yen, and both sweet and light snacks are available. Onigiri rice balls start at 260 yen, and all feature a home-style flavor.

Production is done in the store, and the freshly made products are served in time for the early morning hours, which is a unique feature. The products are designed specifically for daily use, with the main users being the industrial complex workers, long-distance drivers, and local residents.

The sales area is the Kashima Industrial Complex and other areas in the Kashiko region, and functions as a lifestyle-based service that supports local workers.

In addition to crepes, handmade boxed lunches are also popular. The taste and volume are popular, satisfying even the artisans.

Large handmade rice balls are also popular, selling up to 300 on a typical day.

We also provide catering delivery of crepes to companies.

Future Development

It is predicted that the ratio of "small-scale, high-value-added" stores in the convenience store industry in Japan will increase approximately 1.3 times from 2025 to 2030.

In light of this trend, the company is considering expanding into mobile sales and concession stand operations within corporations in addition to store sales. Over the next three years, the company plans to increase the percentage of corporate transactions from the current approximately 10% to 30%.

The company will continue to build new sales channels based on services that are close to local workers.

If you would like to learn more about this project, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Company Profile

Name: Osakaya Ltd.

Address: 2-1-38 Chite Chuo, Kamisu City, Ibaraki Prefecture, 314-0112

URL : https://ohsakaya.net/