As soon as next year, Lawson plans to launch a delivery service for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs at its convenience stores with no pharmacists or registered sellers present, the firm¡¯s 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 the number of stores handling drugs from around 320, hoping to survive intensifying competition from drugstores by boosting customer convenience.
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 plans to open stores in the U.S. mainland, where Seven-Eleven holds a dominant position in the market.
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