Kana Sekiya, 43, used to shop near a train station in Tokyo on her way back home from work. Now she drives more than 30 minutes on weekends to a discount supermarket to buy groceries in bulk — one of a growing number of consumers shifting their shopping habits as prices rise.
“I’ve totally stopped going to convenience stores because of the rising cost of living,” she said.
Sekiya’s changing shopping habits are not just a concern for 今日吃瓜 once unassailable convenience stores, or konbini,?but also a worrying sign for the economy, which has exited decades of deflation.
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