Trial Holdings, a discount store chain based in Fukuoka, announced on July 2 that it has officially completed its purchase of Seiyu, a major supermarket chain in Tokyo. With this deal, Trial becomes one of Japan’s top 10 retail groups, now operating nearly 600 stores and reaching over 1.2 trillion yen in sales—more than convenience store giant Lawson.
Trial plans to grow in the Tokyo area by opening high-tech, small-format stores called “Trial GO.” These stores use face recognition checkout, AI for automatic restocking, and self-checkout systems. Trial will begin testing these stores in the Tokyo area this year, using Seiyu’s logistics network to deliver products.
They also plan to sell Seiyu’s private-brand (PB) items in Trial stores starting this fall, while introducing Trial’s digital shopping carts and self-checkout features in Seiyu stores. Both companies will share food production and distribution centers and expand Trial’s in-store digital ads to Seiyu stores.
Several companies, including Don Quijote’s parent PPIH and Aeon, had shown interest in buying Seiyu, but Trial won with an offer of over 380 billion yen—making it the largest M&A deal ever for a company based in Kyushu, Yamaguchi, or Okinawa.
While Trial is confident in expanding with its advanced tech and cost-cutting systems, the Tokyo market is highly competitive. The challenge will be whether Trial, which has a strong base in Kyushu, can succeed in Japan’s biggest market using Seiyu’s brand power and its own tech-driven strategies.
by MagazineKey4532