Saha Lawson Co, the local operator of Lawson 108 convenience stores, will speed up expansion of its convenience store chain via the franchise system in the second half of this year despite the still sluggish economy.
After four years of operation, the company is ready to expand its business by welcoming franchisees, said managing director and chief operating officer Koreaki Tamura.
"The franchise system will help double the rate at which we can open new Lawson 108 convenience stores each year," he said.
This year, the company plans to open 50 new stores with its own investment and with franchisees. Each shop requires an investment of 2.5 million baht.
It expects to hit 1,000 branches within the next few years, up from just 89 at present. Around 10 have opened since January.
The company expects its sales to grow 10% this year.
"Consumer spending power in the first five months was not good but we saw the potential to expand in the Thai market," Mr Tamura said.
Lawson stores serve 2,000 customers a day each in Japan but double this rate on average in Thailand, figures show, indicating room for growth.
Vathit Chokwatana, Saha Lawson's executive director, said the Lawson 108 brand has already established a strong foothold in Thailand.
"We believe we are different from the other convenience store chains. Our core target is white collar workers, while the other chains target the general public. We will continue to expand our business because the small retail format keeps growing," he said.
The company said it plans to open stores near subway and skytrain stations and big office buildings.
Lawson is the third-largest Japanese convenience store chain with over 10,000 stores in Japan.
The chain also operates in the Philippines and Indonesia, but Thailand is its biggest market in Southeast Asia.