The company is setting its sights on India, outlining plans to build a 10,000-store network in the country by 2050 as it looks beyond its saturated home market for expansion.
According to Nikkei Asia, the retailer will debut in Mumbai next year with five directly operated outlets, before scaling through franchise and licensing partnerships.
It aims to scale to 100 stores by 2030, positioning India as a long-term earnings pillar alongside China. Lawson, jointly owned by Mitsubishi Corp and KDDI, will establish a wholly owned subsidiary in India this year to oversee site selection, supply chain development and merchandising. Production and distribution will be outsourced to local partners.
Nikkei Asia reported that the product mix will be tailored to local tastes, with an expanded range of meat- and egg-free offerings aligned with dietary and religious preferences. Signature Japanese convenience items such as onigiri rice balls and ready-to-eat meals will sit alongside freshly brewed coffee and oden hot dishes.
Lawson currently operates more than 7,000 stores across five countries, including China, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. It seeks to double the number of overseas stores to around 14,000 by as early as fiscal 2030.
The India entry follows the company’s push to accelerate expansion in Southeast Asia last year, where it signed franchise agreements with local retail partners and increased the number of directly managed stores.
