Retail giant Aeon Co. has renovated 13 outlets across the country to cater to seniors, offering earlier opening hours and services that encourage asatomo (morning friends) get-togethers.
Kohei Nakahara, a store manager, canvassed elderly people who frequent nearby parks to better understand their needs. “We brought what they want to do into our store, and it resulted in them staying longer. We want to make the store a place like a community hall for neighbors,” he said.
Aeon Retail positioned one store each in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka as model outlets for seniors. Aeon Kasai, the first newly-renovated store to open since 2013, has tried to attract seniors by offering various services from health checkups to a shop that sells fashionable canes.
