Japanese c-store retailer FamilyMart has opened its first outlets in China's interior.
FamilyMart said yesterday (25 June) it had opened three stores in the province of Sichuan in central China.
"The current move into the country's interior is in line with our aims to accelerate development in China," the retailer said.
The retailer, which had 900 stores in China at the end of May, wants 1,200 outlets in the country by the end of its 2012 financial year.
It has also set out two longer-term targets: 4,500 outlets by fiscal 2015 and 8,000 by fiscal 2020.
The announcement of the new stores in China follow news last week that FamilyMart is looking to open more outlets in South Korea. FamilyMart has struck a fresh deal with South Korean partner Bokwang that will see a new chain opened and plans for more stores in "market niches" in the country.
