Japan’s Lawson hires overseas remote cashiers to beat labor shortage
TOKYO, JAPAN — One of Japan’s major convenience store chains, Lawson, is addressing the country’s severe labor shortage by hiring cashiers based in Europe and the Americas to remotely serve customers at its stores across Japan.
This new staffing strategy allows the chain to operate efficiently by utilizing the time difference, with the first remote cashier, a Japanese national residing in Sweden, assisting customers during early morning hours in Tokyo and Osaka.
Digital avatar technology
Lawson’s remote employees will use digital avatars to interact with customers, displaying animated characters that mimic the cashier’s movements on screens at checkout points. This system has been piloted in 28 of Lawson’s over 11,000 stores and is set for broader application. Sadanobu Takemasu, the company president, mentioned plans to expand this hiring model to other regions, including Brazil and New York, to enhance productivity.
“The labour shortage is real, and konbini (convenience stores) rely heavily on a good supply of cheap labour,” said Roy Larke, a retail expert from the University of Waikato.
“Hourly part-time wages were at an all-time high in November 2024 and will continue to rise. I would fully expect Lawson and others to use this type of system backed by AI in the very near future, reducing and then eventually doing away with the need for human operation.”
The labor crisis has severely impacted the convenience store sector, with 62.5% of operators reporting difficulties in recruiting part-time staff last year. Hourly wages reached record highs in November 2024, pushing companies like Lawson to seek alternative solutions.
Cultural fit and expansion
This shift not only addresses staffing challenges but also aligns with Japanese customer service expectations, which favor high-tech solutions. “The avatar provides a warmer, more personal feeling,” Larke explained, highlighting its appeal particularly to Japan’s older demographic who might find audio-only services less engaging.
As Lawson continues to adapt to urban market saturation, it plans to open new stores in rural areas, replacing closed supermarkets and meeting local needs effectively. These stores are increasingly reliant on AI and avatar-operated systems.
Larke sees this evolution towards unmanned stores as “inevitable,” yet emphasizes that these advances will not compromise the high levels of customer service expected in Japan.
With recent backing from telecom giant KDDI, Lawson is setting a competitive edge against other major players like FamilyMart and 7-Eleven, which are also exploring similar technologies.
NYC restaurants also utilize virtual cashiers
Aside from Japan, a handful of New York City restaurants are also employing virtual cashiers who greet customers via video call from the Philippines.
At Sansan Chicken in Long Island City, Queens, cashier Romy beamed a smile from her home office, recommending menu items like the fried chicken sandwich despite occasional internet lags.
Romy is one of 12 remote workers hired by Happy Cashier, a startup that provides this virtual staffing service. When not directly assisting customers, he greets guests, explains menus, and manages online orders.
The virtual workers earn $3 an hour, significantly below New York’s minimum wage of $16, but around double what similar roles pay in the Philippines.
