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The story
A “prefecture-by-prefecture supermarket power map” made by a Waseda University student is making waves online. Created by cutting out each chain’s logo into the shape of each prefecture in Illustrator, it shows Aeon-affiliated chains (Aeon, Jusco, etc.) taking the top spot in 34 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, leaving the map of Japan almost entirely painted “Aeon color.” The thread lit up with people comparing the map to their own experience of their hometown, as well as discussion of supermarket industry history — how major chains like Daiei, Nichii (later Mycal), Seiyu, and Ito-Yokado once fought it out across the country, only to vanish one by one and be absorbed into Aeon’s dominance.
Japan’s map turns almost entirely “Aeon color”… Waseda student’s supermarket power map stuns the internet! Why Aeon tops the chart in 34 prefectures
Are all supermarkets really the same? Not even close. There are supermarkets where absolutely everything is cheap, ones known for strong private-brand products, ones stocked with fresh vegetables… Knowing how to use the different supermarkets in your area can massively boost your quality of life.
In other words, every supermarket chain has its own character, and expansion requires real strategy. It’s a free-for-all — like Japan’s warring states era.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
No matter how much it expands, Kumamoto just keeps tagging along.
My local supermarket
is stronger than Aeon around here,
so why does the map say Aeon?
Something's off about this.
Looks like it's only counting stores in the "general merchandise store" category.
There isn't one near me.
I'm sure they're not using LPG tanks anymore, but still.
They're just big, not actually cheap.
Someone's probably already made one.
Kanesue is a food supermarket, so it doesn't count here.
The Tatebayashi store closed,
and the one in Isesaki is now a Don Quijote, so this data might be outdated.
Takasaki has a small Apita,
and the one in Maebashi is pretty big as a mall.
The one in Ashikaga is technically Tochigi, but it feels like it's barely hanging on, losing customers to the Aeon Malls in Ota and Sano.
When Jusco was first established, its head office was located at Shiro's Noda store in Fukushima Ward, Osaka City.
Sieg Aeon! (parody of the Gundam line "Sieg Zeon!")
>For the creation process, I used Adobe Illustrator to cut out each brand's logo into the shape of each prefecture, one by one. It was just plain tedious work, but…
AI could do this in an instant.
Shopping-district killers.
I'll never use them.
Why did Aeon suddenly conquer the whole country once the 2000s hit?
It's not like their prices are outstandingly cheap or anything.
I guess Daiei and Nichii (later renamed Mycal) just expanded too fast and collapsed under their own weight.
Aeon carries a full range of everyday goods too, so it's playing a different game entirely. (OK: a discount supermarket chain in the Kanto region)
No, that's not right.
It's not a general merchandise store, but…
Background and key points
This power map appears to compare chains specifically in the “general merchandise store (GMS)” category, so it’s worth noting that food-focused supermarkets are playing a different game entirely. As one commenter in the thread pointed out, “OK Store doesn’t count here since it’s a food supermarket” — this isn’t a simple head-count of stores. Aeon traces its roots to 1969, when Okadaya (Mie Prefecture), Futagi (Hyogo Prefecture), and Shiro (Osaka Prefecture) merged to form “Jusco.” Up through the 1990s, chains like Daiei, Nichii (later renamed Mycal), Seiyu, and Ito-Yokado were competing head-to-head across the country. Over time, many of these chains ran into financial trouble from overexpansion and were forced to retreat or scale back, and the industry gradually consolidated around Aeon, the chain with the most staying power. At the same time, it’s easy to overlook that a high store count doesn’t necessarily mean a high usage rate — as some commenters noted, “just because there’s one nearby doesn’t mean people actually shop there.”
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Japan’s map turns almost entirely “Aeon color”… Waseda student’s supermarket power map stuns the internet! Why Aeon tops the chart in 34 prefectures.”
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