The 7 Steps May 2019
1. CONTEXT
Mindmap
anything you
know about thetopic, including
vocabulary. Do
some research
online to help.

LawsonListening Questions 1
1. What ranking is Lawson for number of convenience stores in Japan?

2. QUESTIONS.
2. Where was the original Lawson store located?
.

Read the listening
questions tocheck yourunderstanding.
Look up any new
vocabulary.

3. What is the reason behind Lawson’s iconic image?
.
4. Who brought Lawson to Japan? How many stores are there as of 2018?
.
5. What are some of the unique services Lawson offers?
.
Listening Questions 2

3. LISTEN

1. When was Karaage-kun launched in Japan? What is it?
.

Listen and answer
the questions
using fullsentences. Circle
the number oftimes and % you
understood.

2. What are two unique limited-edition flavors of Karaage-kun?
.
3. How many pieces of Karaage are shipped daily? How much is one pack?
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4. What are some of the features of senior citizen focused stores?
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5. In what way do Lawson stores think about environmental impact?
.

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Listening 1
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Listening 2
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Discussion Questions
1. Is any convenience store chain clearly superior to the others? How
do Japanese convenience stores compare to those overseas?
2. What have been some interesting features or new services
introduced by convenience stores recently?

4. CHECK ANSWERS

TRANSCRIPT 1

Read through thetranscript andunderline theanswers. Checkthem against yourown answers.

The Lawson chain of convenience stores is well known in Japan for their iconic blue milk pailsign. The company is the third largest convenience store chain in Japan by store number behind
Seven Eleven and Family Mart. The original store was founded in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in 1939
by James Lawson. Lawson was the owner of a dairy factory and the store was created as avenue to sell his dairy products to residents of the city, hence the milk pail image that hasremained until today. The company expanded throughout Ohio as The Lawson’s Milk Companyand was purchased by Consolidated Foods in 1959.

5. CHECK VOCABULARYIn 2018 Lawson had 14,244 stores in Japan, located in every prefecture. These stores offer anassortment of services including ATMs, currency exchange, copiers, ticket purchases forconcerts and other events, package delivery drop off, and of course food and drinks.

Read thetranscript andcircle any new
vocabulary youfind. Look themup and add themto your list.

MATCH THE ANTONYMS BY DRAWING LINES BELOW:

6. READ ALOUD

Read thetranscript aloudat least 5 times,
focusing on
intonation andpronunciation.

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Say the transcript
aloud at the sametime as the audio
without reading
it. Circle how
many times
below.

223344

Franchise

Uniformity

EvolveUnrecognizable

Assortment

Waste

IconicCompany-ownedConserve

RemainTRANSCRIPT 2

7. SHADOWING

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Eventually Lawson was brought to Japan by Daiei, the retail and supermarket chain, in June
1975, with the first Lawson store opening in Osaka and the first franchise store following shortly
after in September. The original store sold party goods similar to those found in American
convenience stores of the time. Over time the franchise would evolve to have a much different
and wider range of offerings.

One of Lawson’s most famous products is Karaage-Kun. Launched in 1986, these chicken
nuggets come in regular, cheese and spicy flavors, and there was a special yuzu flavor released
for the 30th anniversary in 2016. In addition, a bonanza of limited-edition flavors have been
introduced over the years, including kimchi, butter-soy sauce, and mustard mayonnaise. Tie-ins
with other products and brands are also extremely common, such as a Pirate BBQ flavor which
was connected to the popular animation One Piece. According to Lawson’s website, 500,000
pieces of karaage are shipped every day. Today, customers can still purchase a 5-piece packof Karaage-kun for 200 yen plus tax, the same price as in 1986.
Lawson has been keeping up with modern consumer and societal trends. To address the rapidly
aging population of Japan, Lawson has begun launching senior citizen focused stores withbigger writing on shelves, wider aisles, and places to sit and rest. Staff in these stores are highly
trained to deal with elderly customers.

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Lawson have also been gradually opening eco-friendly stores that conserve energy. Using
solar panels to generate heat and electricity, they were able to reduce electricity consumption by60% in these stores. Carefully designed roofs have also allowed for better ventilation anddehumidification in the stores, whilst also conserving energy.