Lawson turns to frozen ‘onigiri’ to reduce deliveries and food waste

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14988313

By TAKESHI SUEZAKI/ Staff Writer            September 6, 2023 at 07:00 JST

                          “Onigiri” products available in a freezer at a Lawson Inc. store (Provided by Lawson Inc.)                                                                                                                

 A leading convenience store chain operator has started selling frozen “onigiri” rice balls on a trial basis to reduce the frequency of deliveries to its outlets.

Lawson Inc. started the experiment Aug. 22 at 21 outlets in Tokyo and Fukushima Prefecture. The test will continue for three months through Nov. 20.

One aim is to extend the shelf life of onigiri to cut down on daily deliveries.

Lawson said it was also taking into account revised working regulations for truck drivers, which will take effect in April and place a further cap on their operating hours.

Another objective is to reduce food waste, company representatives said.

Six offerings will be sold under the program. They include the grilled salmon rice ball for 268 yen ($1.89) after tax and onigiri with chicken and other ingredients for 138 yen.

There is no unfrozen version of the salmon-based one available at Lawson. The other five items are accessible at regular temperatures as well.
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Lawson Inc.’s rice ball product using grilled salmon is to be served frozen on a trial basis. (Provided by Lawson Inc.)

The frozen chicken onigiri is 11 yen cheaper than the unfrozen version. The remaining four products will come with the same price tags as those intended for storage at room temperature.

While unfrozen onigiri are suited for consumption within a day or so, rice balls kept in freezers remain tasty for as long as 120 days.

Consumers are expected to pick up onigiri from freezers and microwave them at the outlets for immediate consumption.

Lawson is looking to see whether super chilled rice balls will prove as popular, since unfrozen onigiri are served alongside them at the stores.

Lawson said measurements using a taste sensor showed that frozen versions boast slightly stronger levels of saltiness and savory aftertaste compared with ordinary rice balls. However, it acknowledged this difference is difficult to detect with the human tongue.

The convenience store chain has been test-selling frozen bento at its specialized Green Lawson shop since last November.

Most customers store such purchases at their homes, indicating Lawson is still grappling with the challenge of encouraging customers to enjoy frozen food products while out shopping.

With the introduction of new onigiri products, Lawson aims to make it more common for consumers to eat frozen items right away. In this regard, it expects greater interest initially in rice balls than bento.

The company’s ultimate goal is to reduce the number of daily deliveries to each store to one or none via an expanded lineup of frozen food products. Currently, stores accept deliveries twice a day.

Lawson will consider putting more frozen onigiri products in place, too, after seeing how the latest experiment pans out.