Japanese convenience-store chain Lawson is opening a series of prefabricated stores in China. The first will be in Nanjing. The concept reduces construction costs by 40% and allows for flexible growth. Around 10 stores are expected to be operational by the end of the year.

The stores, created in partnership with Panasonic, come in 2 sizes: the larger one is a little smaller than the standard 80m² minimart, while the smaller one is suitable for transit stations. They can easily be opened in areas of high foot traffic and offer an alternative to online shopping during the coronavirus health crisis.

Lawson operates 2700 outlets in China and has indicated that it will roll out the prefabricated stores in Japan in the future.