Tokyo, Dec. 27 (Jiji Press)–Japanese convenience store chain Lawson Inc. plans to launch as early as 2026 a delivery service for over-the-counter drugs at its stores with no pharmacists or registered sellers present, President Sadanobu Takemasu has said. The service, which allows customers to order OTC drugs, such as cold medicines, online for home delivery, will be introduced after an easing of drug sales regulations for convenience stores. “We want to sell drugs remotely and deliver them,” Takemasu said in a recent interview. He said that the service will start “next year or the year after” following consultations with relevant authorities. Lawson plans to increase stores handling drugs from around 320, hoping to survive intensifying competition from drugstores by boosting customer convenience related to drug purchases. Regarding a plan to raise the number of overseas stores to around 14,000 by fiscal 2030, Takemasu explained that about 12,000 of them would be in China. He also expressed a wish to expand the company’s store network in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Takemasu said Lawson has no plan to open stores in the U.S. mainland, where Japan’s Seven & i Holdings Co. leads the convenience store market. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
INTERVIEW: Lawson May Start OTC Drug Delivery in 2026
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