FamilyMart opens first apparel store in Tokyo as Convenience Wear moves beyond the aisle

A new kind of FamilyMart shop opens in Tokyo

FamilyMart has made a retail move that goes beyond late night snacks. The company opened its first store devoted to apparel in Tokyo, a space that puts its Convenience Wear label front and center. The new shop, called Famima, sits inside the Blue Front Shibaura S Building in Minato Ward and began trading on September 1. Doors open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with closures on Sundays and public holidays. Rather than tucking T-shirts and socks beside instant noodles, the company is giving clothing its own stage.

The dedicated format brings almost the full range to one address. FamilyMart says it stocks nearly all of the brand’s roughly 150 items, from undershirts and innerwear to outer layers and accessories. The best known product, striped crew socks in the retailer’s signature colors, has sold more than 28 million pairs to date, a runaway hit for a label created to be practical, affordable and easy to wear every day. To mark the opening, the store is also offering presales of items from the upcoming fall and winter collection.

The in-store experience differs from what shoppers encounter at a typical convenience store. Clothing sold in regular FamilyMart branches is usually sealed for cleanliness and space efficiency. At the new location, samples are out on display so customers can touch fabrics, compare sizes and step in front of a mirror before they buy. It is a try before you buy approach that still keeps the take home packaging familiar to Convenience Wear fans.

Why Convenience Wear became a hit

Convenience Wear launched nationwide in 2021 under the direction of designer Hiromichi Ochiai, an award winning creator who also developed costumes for Japan’s handover performance at the Rio Olympic Games closing ceremony in 2016. The first breakout item was a unisex crew sock in FamilyMart’s green, blue and white. Monocle has reported that the line won a Good Design Award and that the socks were engineered with antibacterial and deodorizing properties. Ochiai focused on simple silhouettes and universal sizing that could appeal to many people, and he partnered with graphic designer Takahiro Yasuda to build packaging that protects garments on crowded shelves while staying easy to store or reuse at home. The approach spoke to busy urban shoppers who expect reliable quality at a friendly price in their neighborhood store.

From socks to a full wardrobe

Success with the socks gave the brand permission to grow. Convenience Wear expanded into undershirts, T-shirts, long sleeve tops, pants, underwear, sweatshirts, hand towels and jackets. Monocle noted that collaborations, including oversized shirts with stylist Akio Hasegawa, sold out quickly, and that the brand appeared at major events like Fuji Rock. FamilyMart even staged a runway-style presentation near Harajuku in 2023, playing with the idea that a humble convenience store could double as a fashion stage. The common thread across products is function first. Colors and materials change with the seasons, while the design language stays clean and approachable for shoppers of many ages.

Inside the Famima clothing store experience

The new Famima shop translates that philosophy into a format built for browsing. Instead of sorting through sealed bags on a crowded aisle, visitors can inspect sample garments, feel textures and see how pieces drape in a mirror before heading to the register. Sizing is clearly marked, displays are tidy and the overall flow is closer to a specialty basics store than a snack counter with shirts.

What shoppers will find

Nearly the full Convenience Wear assortment is represented. The mix highlights best sellers and seasonal pieces, including presale items for fall and winter. Expect essentials that are useful for daily life rather than one-off fashion statements.

• Striped crew socks in FamilyMart colors
• Undershirts and underwear
• T-shirts and long sleeve tees
• Shirts and pants for everyday wear
• Hand towels, including items made in Imabari
• Scarves and thermal layers for cold weather
• Lightweight jackets and sweatshirts

The company says the store carries nearly all of the roughly 150 items offered under the label. For fans who discovered Convenience Wear on a snack run, the dedicated space makes it easier to compare colors, check finishes and decide on fit without guessing through a plastic window.

A business shift in a tight labor market

Japan’s convenience store sector has been wrestling with a mix of labor shortages and rising costs. Staffing 24 hour locations is more difficult in an aging society, and ingredient prices have pushed up the cost of staple foods. Major chains have responded with remodels, new services and, in FamilyMart’s case, a clearer push into daily essentials that do not spoil. Time Out reported in late 2024 that FamilyMart planned to remove eat in spaces in about 7,000 stores nationwide, converting the floor area into shelves for clothing, detergent and other home needs. The Famima apparel shop extends that thinking by dedicating an entire site to nonperishable basics.

Clothing gives a retailer flexibility. T-shirts, socks and towels can sit on the shelf without markdowns at closing time, and sizing can be managed with stable replenishment rather than fresh prep. Packaging built for the convenience store environment protects fabric from spills and wear. At the same time, the industry is experimenting with ways to handle staffing pressure. Unmanned formats and self checkout systems are expanding across Japan, as reported by Unseen Japan, and some big brands have piloted limited staff models for certain locations. FamilyMart’s new apparel store is a conventional staffed shop with set hours, but it can still serve as a testing ground for layouts, signage, and digital displays that could inform the next wave of remodels.

Analysts and trade media covering the opening note that a strong showing from Famima would give FamilyMart optionality if foot traffic patterns change in the future. SoraNews24 and Japan Today both framed the move as a potential hedge for a chain that already sells clothes in most stores. If a dedicated location can grow basket size and customer loyalty, the company could replicate the concept in other districts or expand apparel zones in high traffic shops.

Designers in the aisle: Ochiai and Nigo

Behind the label is fashion talent that treats everyday basics like an industrial design challenge. Hiromichi Ochiai, known for his brand Facetasm and for designing the costumes used in Japan’s handover at the Rio Olympics closing ceremony, shaped Convenience Wear to be democratic and useful. He has spoken about keeping prices accessible while paying attention to fabric performance and packaging that suits the realities of a convenience store. The result is a line that can speak to a student grabbing coffee and to an office worker buying socks on the way to a meeting.

FamilyMart has also added star power to its broader creative vision. In early 2025, the company appointed Nigo, founder of Bape and artistic director at Kenzo, as its creative director. According to statements shared with media, he will guide visual branding, collaborations and ideas for next generation stores, with the first collaboration expected in spring 2026. FamilyMart’s president, Kensuke Hosomi, framed the partnership as a way to bind culture and daily life.

Hosomi, who serves as Representative Director and President of FamilyMart, said the collaboration aims to deepen the brand’s connection with customers in Japan and beyond.

Together with Nigo, we will strengthen Japan’s unique sense and spirit, realizing our corporate message of ‘FamilyMart, Where You Are One of the Family’ with the aim of becoming treasured like a family member by customers around the world.

Nigo described convenience stores as a mirror of Japanese life and said he intends to bring creative energy to a format people use every day.

As Japan continues to garner global attention, convenience stores (konbini) best embody Japan’s unique lifestyle and culture. FamilyMart respects creativity and continuously challenges itself to pursue innovation.

Beyond Japan: first overseas steps

The clothing line is already crossing borders. In late 2024, FamilyMart began selling Convenience Wear in Taiwan, the first market outside Japan. Taiwan News reported that around 25 items, including socks, underwear, scarves and shirts, arrived in 720 stores, with online ordering and pickup available through the local FamilyMart network. The pitch remains the same as in Tokyo: sturdy everyday pieces at a fair price, with simple designs that suit a wide age range and a mix of colors for different tastes. Thermal innerwear is a focus for winter months, while socks in FamilyMart’s colors keep their fan base.

That early step into another market shows that the brand can travel. The mechanics of convenience retail are different in every country, yet the appetite for inexpensive, reliable basics is common. If the Taiwan rollout sustains momentum, it could open the door to more regional pilots or pop ups tied to high profile collaborations under the new creative director.

What it means for Japan’s konbini culture

FamilyMart’s apparel experiment highlights how quickly Japan’s convenience stores have expanded their role in daily life. A decade ago, most chains sold only a few emergency clothing items. Today, one of the largest operators has a clothing label with devoted fans and a stand alone store. That shift speaks to the value of trust in a familiar brand. Shoppers already visit FamilyMart for coffee, lunch and bill payments. Picking up socks or a warm base layer at the same place is a small step.

The Famima store also gives the brand a stage for storytelling. Seasonal drops can be presented in one setting. Packaging, signage and visual merchandising can be refined in a space designed for browsing rather than quick grabs. If the format builds repeat visits, FamilyMart could fine tune the assortment to local needs, just as it calibrates food menus by region. The mix of high profile creative leadership and everyday basics gives the company latitude to test capsule collections or event driven color stories without losing sight of function.

Convenience Wear’s popularity has already generated playful marketing, from runway moments to novelty giveaways inspired by the striped socks. Bringing the full range under one roof lets the company measure what resonates when customers have time to compare options. It also signals to the wider retail sector that konbini can compete for spend in categories once reserved for specialty chains.

Visiting the new Famima apparel store

The Famima Blue Front Shibaura S Building Store is located at Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Shibaura 1-1-1, Blue Front Shibaura S Building 3F. Hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The shop is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The location is a short walk from Shibaura’s business and residential blocks, making it an easy stop for office workers and locals.

Shoppers will find nearly the entire Convenience Wear catalog on site, plus presale items from the upcoming fall and winter range. Socks with FamilyMart’s color stripes tend to move fast, and the basics table changes with the season. Most items remain available in regular FamilyMart stores nationwide, but the dedicated shop adds mirrors, sample rails and a fuller selection that rewards a special visit.

The Essentials

• FamilyMart opened its first clothing focused retail store, Famima, in Tokyo’s Minato Ward on September 1
• The shop carries nearly all of the roughly 150 items in the Convenience Wear line, including presale fall and winter pieces
• Shoppers can touch sample garments and check fit in a mirror before buying, a change from sealed packages in regular stores
• Striped crew socks in FamilyMart colors have sold more than 28 million pairs since launch
• Hiromichi Ochiai leads design for Convenience Wear; FamilyMart named Nigo as company creative director in early 2025
• FamilyMart plans to remove many eat in spaces to expand retail shelves, part of a shift amid labor shortages and higher costs
• Convenience Wear began international sales in Taiwan in 2024, reaching 720 stores with around 25 items
• The Famima store is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed on Sundays and public holidays, at Blue Front Shibaura S Building 3F