Convenience store chain Lawson Inc. might use artificial intelligence to help it make decisions about opening new stores, company officials said Sunday. Lawson aims to enhance the capability of stores to fulfill particular needs in each region by using AI to collect and analyze marketing data, including household distribution patterns and traffic volumes, to predict the profitability of new stores in each target area. It would be the first such attempt to incorporate AI technology in Japan's retail sector, the officials said. Demonstrations of the technology began at the end of last year, when the firm opened new Lawson Store 100 shops that sell fresh foods. The retailer plans to expand the introduction of AI to other stores, including its conventional Lawson and high-end Natural Lawson outlets.

Convenience store chain Lawson Inc. might use artificial intelligence to help it make decisions on opening new stores, company officials said Sunday. Lawson aims to enhance the capability of stores to fulfill particular needs in each region by using AI to collect and analyze marketing data including household distribution patterns and traffic volumes, to predict the profitability of new stores in each target area. It would be the first such attempt to incorporate AI technology in the Japanese retail sector, the officials said. Demonstrations began at the end of last year, when it opened new Lawson Store 100 shops that sell fresh foods. It plans to expand the introduction of AI at other stores, including its conventional Lawson and high-end Natural Lawson outlets. An Lawson executive said the company is hoping that "AI will be able to search for places suitable for the opening of new stores" in the future.