Convenience stores are among the most familiar pieces of infrastructure in everyday life.

Open 24 hours a day. Consistent service. The reassurance of knowing what to expect no matter which location you visit.

For decades, these qualities have defined the value of the convenience store.

On July 10, 2026, however, FamilyMart opened a new flagship store in Tokyo’s Azabudai district: FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI.

Courtesy of FamilyMart

This is more than a new store opening. With NIGO® serving as creative director, Wonderwall® founder Masamichi Katayama overseeing the architecture and retail design, Hirofumi Ochiai contributing to Convenience Wear, and World Barista Champion Tetsu Kasuya developing an exclusive coffee program, the project represents an attempt to redefine what a convenience store can be.

At its core is a shift—from a place people visit because it is convenient to a place they actively want to visit.

Courtesy of FamilyMart

The Next Convenience Store Sells Experiences

FamilyMart positions the initiative as part of its “Next FamilyMart Project.”

Behind it is a recognition that the expectations placed on convenience stores are changing.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Convenience and efficiency are now baseline requirements. The next challenge is creating experiences that bring moments of discovery, enjoyment, and inspiration into everyday life.

Throughout the press presentation, FamilyMart repeatedly emphasized its desire to create new forms of richness and excitement through collaboration with creators.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Buying clothes at a convenience store.

Encountering culture at a convenience store.

Discovering a new lifestyle through a convenience store.

FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI seeks to weave experiences that once felt unlikely into the fabric of daily life.

The Perspective Brought by NIGO®

At the center of the project is creative director NIGO®.

A pioneer of street culture since the 1990s and an influential figure in today’s global fashion landscape, NIGO® has long served as a bridge between Japanese culture and international audiences.

NIGO® | Courtesy of FamilyMart

FamilyMart’s expectations extended far beyond design supervision. What NIGO® brings is a way of editing culture—of creating new forms of value within everyday life.

What happens when one of Japan’s largest lifestyle infrastructures intersects with the perspective of a creator known for shaping global culture?

FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI serves as a testing ground for that question.

Flagship-store uniforms (left: Rikako Yagi, right: Kotaro Yoshida) | Courtesy of FamilyMart

A Convenience Store as a Neighborhood Landmark

The architecture and spatial design were created by Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall®.

The goal was not simply to build another convenience store, but to create a place that people naturally gather around.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Responding to the international character of Azabudai, the building incorporates playful three-dimensional signage and abundant greenery.

Outside, visitors will find FAMIMA STAND, a takeaway coffee counter designed for quick and casual visits.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

The result is a space where the city and the store connect seamlessly before customers even step inside.

If traditional convenience stores are places people stop by on their way somewhere else, this one feels designed as a destination where people can spend time.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Convenience Wear Evolves from Product Category to Brand

One of the store’s most symbolic spaces is the Convenience Wear area.

Developed in collaboration with fashion designer Hirofumi Ochiai, Convenience Wear has grown into one of FamilyMart’s signature product lines.

At FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI, visitors will find the full seasonal lineup alongside styling recommendations displayed via touchscreens, fitting rooms, and dedicated staff available to assist with sizing and coordination.

Courtesy of FamilyMart

Clothing here is not presented merely as merchandise.

Instead, the world of Convenience Wear itself is offered as an experience.

The ambition to normalize the idea of buying clothes at a convenience store is reflected not only in the products but also in the design of the retail environment.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Turning FamilyMart Itself into Intellectual Property

One of the most intriguing ideas presented during the launch was FamilyMart’s belief that the brand itself can function as intellectual property.

Famichiki.

The signature green-and-blue-striped Convenience Wear socks.

The familiar melody played when customers enter the store.

These elements have become part of everyday life while simultaneously evolving into recognizable brand assets embedded in public memory.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE


At FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI, FamilyMart introduces an official character designed to embody its world. Limited-edition merchandise and exclusive items will debut at the flagship location before expanding more broadly.

Rather than transforming products into IP, FamilyMart is attempting to cultivate the brand itself into a cultural entity.

For a convenience-store company, it is an unusually ambitious proposition.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

An Experiment in Creating a Convenience Store Worth Traveling For

Exclusive coffee.

Limited-edition products.

Collaborations with creators.

Cultural programming.

At first glance, these elements may seem unrelated.

Yet they are united by a single idea: creating a convenience store that people intentionally seek out.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Traditionally, convenience stores have been places people visit because they happen to be nearby.

FAMIMA PARK AZABUDAI challenges that assumption.

It proposes a destination not defined solely by convenience, but by experiences, discoveries, and encounters with culture.

What FamilyMart has launched in Azabudai is more than a flagship store. It may well be a proposal for what the future of the convenience store can become.