Convenience store giant Seven-Eleven Japan has opened its first store in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It's the Middle East's first Japanese convenience store.
The UAE has steadily grown as a financial hub, but unlike in Japan, most stores there do not operate around the clock. The new store will sell "fresh foods." These include Japanese-style lunch boxes and onigiri rice balls. Seven-Eleven Japan has come up with new kinds of onigiri to cater to local tastes in collaboration with a domestic firm. These include a spicy Indian-style variety and ones that contain sausages.
The UAE government wants to modernize its retail sector. Seven-Eleven Japan plans to launch 100 stores in the country in the next three years. Japan's major convenience store chains are shifting their focus to overseas markets as the domestic market shrinks.
◆around the clock ２４時間操業する
◆come up with （考えや計画などを）打ち出す
◆cater to （需要に）応える
