Convenient！Japan’s FamilyMart to launch “delivery to Taiwan” from stores; could start this year

▲FamilyMart’s “delivery to Taiwan” from stores,could launch as early as this year. (Photo / Courtesy of FamilyMart Japan official website)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Japan’s FamilyMart convenience store chain has announced a partnership with Japan Post Group to expand its delivery services overseas. Consumers or international tourists will be able to send packages at FamilyMart stores in Japan and pick them up at designated branches abroad. This overseas delivery service is expected to launch mid-year, initially rolling out at 3,000 stores in Taiwan. The news has drawn cheers from many Taiwanese netizens, who praised it as a great solution—“no more struggling to carry electronics onto the plane!”

As many inbound tourists often purchase large quantities of Japanese goods but face challenges bringing them home, FamilyMart plansto allow travelers to send bulky items back via FamilyMart stores in Japan and collect them at branches in their home countries. The company is also considering launching a service that enables overseas stores to send packages to Japan.

According to Japanese media reports, data shows that the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan has reached 20 million annually, with total spending hitting 35 billion yen in 2015. Among them, Taiwanese tourists rank second only to those from mainland China, spending approximately 520 billion yen. FamilyMart believes this service will meet the needs of Taiwanese consumers,and plans to roll out this “store-to-store” service in Taiwan—which has about 3,000 stores—as early as mid-2016.

FamilyMart operates approximately 12,000 stores in Japan and around 6,000 overseas. This new service will turn nearly 20,000 stores into hubs for sending and receiving parcels, while logistics will be handled by Japan Post. The news has sparked lively discussion on PTT, where many Japan enthusiasts have praised it as “super convenient.” However, some also expressed concern that shipping fees might be surprisingly high, with some even joking that “daigou shoppers will be crushed.”