TOKYO - Seven-Eleven has revived its popular 100 yen rice ball promotion starting today, marking the first time in five years it has launched such a campaign despite soaring rice prices.
Shelves are now stocked with familiar offerings such as plum and salmon rice balls, all priced at 100 yen for a limited four-day period. Products normally priced up to 170 yen before tax are included in the promotion.
One customer said, "At 100 yen, I can buy as many as I want." Another recalled, "They used to do 100 yen rice balls before, and I bought them often back then. Lately, though, they've been a bit too expensive for me."
With rice prices climbing, Seven-Eleven has raised prices on its rice balls twice this year, leading to sluggish sales growth.
Okajima Noriyuki, executive officer at Seven-Eleven Japan, said, "Rice ball sales are a critical point of contact with customers. By making them more affordable, we hope shoppers will also purchase other items."
Seven-Eleven’s rivals are also taking steps to retain customers. At FamilyMart, customers who buy rice balls or boxed lunches now receive a 20 yen discount coupon for use on future rice ball purchases. FamilyMart raised rice ball prices yesterday but offset the increase with the new coupon offer.
A customer who received the coupon said, "Even 20 yen adds up, so I appreciate it. I intend to use it, but sometimes I forget and miss the expiration date."
For frequent shoppers, FamilyMart is also selling rice ball discount passes through its app, offering 1,000 yen worth of discounts for 500 yen.
FamilyMart's Kurihara Yusuke said, "We hope this will encourage people to visit the store and become repeat customers."
Meanwhile, Lawson announced last week that it will begin selling rice balls made from 2023-harvested aged rice starting in July. As price hikes continue across the sector, companies are experimenting with strategic discounts to hold on to customers.
Source: TBS
