The return of 7-eleven... from Japan: The vanguard program

This article examines how Ito-Yokado Co. Ltd. of Japan, the long-time licensee of the Southland Corporation's 7-Eleven store chain, has come back to the United States to acquire its parent company and has begun to implement the Japanese firm's management techniques at 7-Eleven stores in the United States. While we have been fully aware of the Japanese competitive juggernaut in the consumer durable products industry, we rarely hear about it in services, let alone in retailing. As the Japanese licensee's takeover of the American convenience-store parent company suggests, the next generation of Japanese competition may come unexpectedly from service sectors such as retail business.