
Seven-Eleven Japan Announces Price Increases on Rice-Based Products
Convenience store chain Seven-Eleven Japan Co. has announced nationwide price increases on 37 rice-based products, citing the continuing rise in costs for the grain. The price hikes will impact the chain's low-priced food lineup, which aims to attract customers while costs rise across the board.
Starting on January 27th, the prices of onigiri rice balls at the stores will jump by up to 28 yen (18 cents), while the cost of bento lunch boxes and sushi will rise by as much as 60 yen beginning on February 10th. For example, the price of an onigiri with "konbu" seaweed will increase by 17 percent to 162 yen, while a fried chicken bento will be sold for 626 yen, up 9 percent.
The company said the price hikes were unavoidable, despite its efforts to heighten productivity to offset the rising costs of ingredients, packaging materials, and logistics. The price of a plain onigiri in the low-priced lineup will increase by 18 percent to 138 yen. Chinese fried rice will be sold for 378 yen, an 8-percent increase, and will no longer be part of the low-price category.