How One Idea Brought Seven-Eleven Japan and Local Stores Together for Sanfrecce Hiroshima

The concept originated with Fujii, District Manager for the Fukuyama area at Seven-Eleven Japan. Hiroshima possesses a powerful sense of local identity, yet the region also faces structural challenges such as population outflow. Fujii recognized an opportunity to bring local stores and the community together through a campaign built around the city's beloved soccer team.

It was a fresh start for everyone involved. With no prior connections to the club, Fujii approached the Sanfrecce public relations office directly, sharing his vision of a joint effort to inject fresh energy into the community.

After roughly two and a half years of careful coordination, the plan took shape. The operational baton was then passed to Sei, an Expert Operation Field Counselor in the Minami Hiroshima area, to coordinate field execution across franchise locations.

Once the campaign received the official green light, Sei focused on building genuine enthusiasm among store teams.

“I knew we had to give it our all and make it something the stores could truly get behind,” Sei recalls.

Among the franchise owners who translated that enthusiasm into a memorable experience for shoppers was Imada, owner of the 7-Eleven Hiroshima Ujina Kanda 4 Chome store. He and his family are passionate Sanfrecce supporters.

“The joy, anticipation and emotion I felt all came together like the three arrows that symbolize Sanfrecce, and it really moved me,” Imada reflected.

What began as Fujii’s personal vision steadily gained momentum, spreading from corporate headquarters to individual store teams and drawing the broader neighborhood into the effort.

A major turning point came at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, the home stadium of Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The team brought together people from across the 7-Eleven network for a kickoff gathering at the stadium. It marked a shift from an initiative discussed within Seven-Eleven Japan to one that store teams could help shape and make their own.

It was the first time Seven-Eleven Japan had held a kickoff gathering at a stadium like this. Rather than simply sharing plans from headquarters, the gathering gave store teams a chance to connect with the idea and consider how they could contribute.

For Fujii, creating that sense of involvement was essential.

“We didn't want this to be something that came only from the headquarters side. We wanted to create an opportunity for stores to get involved and make it their own.”

Imada also felt the strength of that connection. Sanfrecce Hiroshima legend Koji Morisaki joined the kickoff gathering, lending his support to the initiative.

“For me, that was a very moving moment,” Imada reflects. “It showed how seriously everyone was taking it, from the team to Seven-Eleven Japan.”

That shared enthusiasm was also visible on the sales floor at Imada’s store. Products in the team’s signature purple were prominently displayed at the front of the shelves, while Imada and his staff worked together to create handmade promotional displays.

When the soccer season opened, the excitement surrounding Sanfrecce Hiroshima vibrated throughout local stores. Sei visited locations wearing a team jersey on opening day, watching fans enthusiastically pick up featured products on their way to the match.

At Imada's store, staff members who were soccer fans naturally struck up conversations with customers, adding to the vibrant match-day atmosphere.

“We had staff talking with customers about football, and the store felt more lively,” Imada recalls. “I also feel that we gained new fans of the store through the campaign.”

For Fujii, these interactions showed how a convenience store can play a role beyond shopping.

“A store can be a place that connects people in the area,” he explains. “That was one of the biggest things we saw through this initiative.”

The experience also highlighted opportunities to do more. Imada sees the lessons learned as a starting point for future efforts, including developing a wider range of products that appeal to younger customers and finding more ways to introduce local products.

"We make mistakes, we learn from them, and we keep improving," Imada says. "I want to make sure the frontline voices we hear in our stores reach the team at headquarters."

Sei also saw room to involve more employees in similar initiatives. Since not everyone on staff was familiar with soccer initially, creating ways for colleagues with diverse interests to participate helped foster a stronger sense of internal teamwork.

What began as one person’s idea grew through the involvement of Seven-Eleven Japan, field counselors, franchise owners and store staff, bringing more people into the effort along the way.

The experience showed how local stores can connect people with one another and with their communities. For Seven-Eleven Japan, it was an important step toward continuing to grow alongside the communities it serves.