The formula for success of the Kombini Simple, fast, high quality: the supermarkets of the future

In recent years, the way we shop for groceries has changed radically. According to a report by GlobeNewswire, the global convenience store market exceeded $1 trillion in 2023 and is expected to grow to nearly $1.64 trillion by 2028, driven by increasingly hectic lifestyles, demand for speed, and growing urbanization. Even in Italy, habits are shifting: online grocery shopping reached €4.6 billion in 2024, with over 27% of shoppers making at least one online grocery purchase, showing that convenience is no longer a luxury but a real necessity. In this context, the inevitable question arises: what will be the winning model of the supermarket of the future?

In Japan, the answer already seems clear, and it’s called konbini. Not to be confused with the convenience store, the konbini is not just the typical neighborhood shop where you grab a sandwich or a bottle of water on the go, but a daily reference point combining freshness, variety, and services. In a konbini, you can eat well at any time of day or night, pay bills, ship packages, and buy a hot meal without compromising on quality. It’s a model that has fascinated anyone who has visited Japan for years, and now, under the leadership of Stephen Hayes Dacus, the new CEO of Seven & i Holdings, owner of 7-Eleven, seems ready to expand beyond Japanese borders.

How do konbini work?

As explained by the New York Times, Dacus’ strategy is ambitious: bring the best of the Japanese format to the United States and, subsequently, to the rest of the world. No longer just the convenience store as we know it today—useful but unappealing—but an upgraded version focused on fresh meals, well-designed environments, and an image closer to a diner than to a minimarket.

The change, however, is not only about industrial plans: it is above all a cultural transformation. In the United States, where there are over 45,000 supermarkets generating around $1 trillion in annual sales according to ExportUSA, consumers are accustomed to a different approach, based more on quantity than quality. «In the United States, there is a need for a conceptual change. In recent years, Seven & i has made progress in the U.S., but it’s not like I have to go to 7-Eleven to get something to eat[...]. The challenge is to step out of the metropolitan shadows», explained Gavin Whitelaw, executive director of Harvard’s Reischauer Institute, to the New York Times, emphasizing how the challenge for 7-Eleven is to convince Americans to see the konbini as a place to eat, not just to buy drinks and snacks.

Where are konbini in Europe?

In Europe, the situation is different but just as complex. On our continent, consumers already have many alternatives and are much more educated: express supermarkets, fast casual chains, meal kits, and delivery services that have transformed eating habits. Added to this are higher logistics and labor costs compared to Japan, as well as urban planning constraints that make it less easy to open small, widespread stores with extended hours.

And in Italy? Something similar to the konbini was created by Esselunga with the LaEsse format, launched in Milan in 2019: small urban stores between 400 and 800 square meters, designed to offer quality and speed in well-curated environments. An idea in line with the Japanese spirit, but not without difficulties: in 2025, Esselunga closed two LaEsse stores in Milan, a sign that even in a country with a very strong food tradition of quality, it is not easy to balance innovation, costs, and consumer expectations.

Yet despite obstacles and contradictions, the direction seems clear. The traditional supermarket will not disappear, because for family groceries, large surfaces and fully stocked shelves will still be needed. But the share of daily consumption, made up of quick meals, emergency purchases, and small needs, is increasingly moving toward the konbini model. It will never be an alternative, but an integration: fewer overflowing carts, quick, curated experiences closer to urban life.