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The story
Convenience store chain Ministop, part of the Aeon Group, revealed in a January 8 disclosure that it expects a net loss of roughly ¥6 billion for the fiscal year ending February 2026. As store closures keep piling up, a thread on 5ch’s Gaming Hardware (“Geha”) board asked why customers aren’t showing up despite the chain’s signature in-store cooking and soft-serve ice cream. Posters complained about there being no stores nearby, rising soft-serve prices, bento quality, and poor customer service — though others chimed in with childhood memories and genuine affection for the soft-serve, so opinions were split.
Ministop Hit by a Wave of Closures… The “Fatal Flaw” Hidden Behind Its In-Store Cooking and Soft-Serve
Ministop, the convenience store chain under the Aeon Group, disclosed on January 8 that it expects to post a net loss of roughly ¥6 billion for the fiscal year ending February 2026.
Source: gendai.media / Original article here
What people said
That one's actually more convenient anyway, so no complaints here.
That said, I actually really like their bentos.
They should just sell that one year-round — everything else on the menu tastes bad anyway.
Also, for Uber Eats it's basically a landmark — you can order soft-serve in the middle of the night.
You should use it. Since it's Aeon-affiliated and gets haggled over by housewives all day, prices are generally cheap.
If I had to name a downside though, the bathrooms aren't great — and that's actually a big factor in getting people to stop by.
Back in the day they had a gumbo soup sandwich and a corn soup sandwich that were so good I ate them all the time.
Yeah, it's pricey — McDonald's still sells theirs for under 200 yen.
It just doesn't cross my mind as an option when I think about stopping by one.
There actually was a Ministop format like that a few years back — quietly became an embarrassment nobody talks about anymore.
You could grab a little something with just a kid's allowance, so back in the day it was our hangout spot.
Though we could never sit still for long and would run off to play somewhere else.
There's only one location anywhere near me.
The other big chains actually have multiple stores within walking or biking distance.
At least 300 — 280 yen would be about fair.
You end up wondering "will they even make one for me at this hour?" and asking feels like a hassle, and if they say no there's nothing else you wanted anyway — so you just think, forget it, not going.
Just go to McDonald's, old man.
Wait, in your head is it "Makku" or "Makudo"? (Tokyo vs. Osaka slang for McDonald's)
I did want to try the Tsukimi Burger though (McDonald's Japan's seasonal "moon-viewing" egg burger).
What's up with that?
Because they're going for quantity and low price over taste.
They're cheaper than the other convenience stores, right?
There isn't a single one near me.
Meanwhile FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, and Lawson each have two nearby.
The Big Three are one thing, but the fact that you see Maibasuke (My Basket) and Lawson Store 100 more often than Ministop kind of says it all…
Yeah, I go there sometimes and the staff really do look swamped — they've got soft-serve duty piled on top of everything else.
Background and Talking Points
Ministop is an Aeon Group convenience store chain that has leaned on in-store cooked fast food and soft-serve ice cream to set itself apart. Neither the original article nor the thread spells this out directly, but its locations and customer base overlap heavily with Maibasuke (“My Basket”), another Aeon-affiliated grocery chain — a structural issue that’s likely behind the complaints about how few Ministop stores there are. The thread leans heavily on gripes about pricing, service, and store density, but plenty of posters also voiced real affection for the soft-serve and fried snacks, so the verdict isn’t a simple “it’s bad” or “it’s inconvenient.” It’s also worth noting the projected ¥6 billion net loss comes straight from the company’s own disclosure — separate from the thread’s gut-level complaints, factors like store-opening strategy and labor costs are almost certainly part of the real story.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from a 5ch Hardware/Industry (“Geha”) board thread titled “[Sad News] Ministop: “Store closures rush 😨 why won’t you guys come to Ministop 🥺”.”
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