Lawson to let visitors use larger parking lots as paid car campsites
In certain Lawson outlets across the country — mostly in rural areas where they have large parking lots — visitors will be able to book spaces and pay for them online. Upon arrival, visitors can check in at the store, where they will be able to rent power cord reels as well as use the bathroom.
The service will begin at six stores in Chiba Prefecture starting July 14 and will slowly be rolled out to more outlets elsewhere. The company is looking to target rural areas where there are public bath houses nearby, but not many hotels or other types of accommodation.
This is the first time that a convenience store operator is opening up its parking lots for overnight stays. Typically, customers are allowed to park their vehicles at convenience store parking lots while they do their shopping.
Lawson is allowing each visitor to book a block of two adjacent parking spaces at a time, which would accommodate not just regular cars but also recreational vehicles. Parking rules at the Lawson outlets will be in accordance with those for RV parks, as set by the Japan Recreational Vehicle Association (JRVA).
The new service comes amid a surge in inbound tourists that is making it harder to book hotels and inns as well as making such accommodations more expensive.
In 2024, there were over 650 million overnight stayers — including both domestic and foreign visitors — in the country, up 5.3% from a year earlier, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Foreign nationals who stayed overnight jumped 38.9% year on year to hit some 137 million people in 2024.
Lawson's service could come in handy when events such as live concerts are held in rural regions, where accommodation options are limited.
It is not uncommon for visitors to camp out in the parking lots of convenience stores in their vehicles without permission. Lawson is looking to capitalize on this by allowing such visitors to stay for a fee.
RVs are also becoming more popular in Japan. Last year saw the highest ownership of such vehicles, at 165,000, according to the JRVA. This is more than a threefold increase from 2005 when the association first started taking count.
There are over 14,500 Lawson outlets across the country and while the service is only suitable for bigger stores with large parking lots, the expansion of the service would give out-of-town visitors an affordable alternative to conventional accommodations.
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