Crafting Every Bite of Happiness: The “Sweets Family” Perspective of Seven‑Eleven Japan
Cheesecake, éclairs, dorayaki, mochi.
The sweets section at 7-Eleven is filled with a sense of choice that makes you pause and think, “What should I treat myself to today?”
The Sweets Team in the Bakery /Sweets Department of the Merchandising Division develops each product with one wish in mind: to bring a smile to the faces of customers who pick up their sweets.
One of the team’s biggest challenges was the development of new products for January—Kumo Dora (Dorayaki) with Chunky Red Bean Paste & Whipped Cream and the Quattro Chocolate Éclair.
Even their names hint at how delicious they are.
So what kind of “perspectives” went into creating these new sweets? We asked the Sweets Team about the viewpoints behind these launches, along with the perspectives they have always valued in their product development.
Creating Delicious Sweets, Side by Side
"What we truly value is the perspective of growing the sweets section over time. We want customers to feel a sense of enjoyment the moment they stop by the sweets display."
This is how Manager Iino explains the team’s approach.
The current team consists of six members: Maeda, the MD* in charge of Western-style sweets, En, the merchandiser responsible for Japanese sweets, and three assistants.
* MD: Merchandiser / product development lead
Iino
It’s important for us to research what’s selling right now and to actually taste those products ourselves. We see it as a way of refining our palates and building our own standard for what "delicious" truly means.
The team’s research goes beyond taste alone.
They carefully consider what kind of product lineup works best and what type of packaging will catch customers’ eyes. Through discussion and examination from many different angles, each product is finally brought into the world.
Behind the glamorous image of sweets lies a steady accumulation of hard work. According to Iino, Maeda and En are the partners who walk alongside her on this far-from-easy journey.
Iino
Until recently, I worked as an MD just like the two of them. It was only after joining this team that I became a manager. Since they both have more experience working with sweets than I do, I often learn from them as we work side by side to build the team together.
What Iino is most mindful of now in her role as a manager is listening. Drawing on her past experience as an MD, she focuses on offering advice with one key question in mind: how she can help turn what the two want to do into reality.
From left to right: Maeda, Iino, and En.
Iino
They’re both incredibly driven, so there are times when I don’t even need to lead from the front. Once they set a goal, they see it through to the very end. Without that persistence, we might not have been able to overcome the challenges of developing these new products.
Maeda and En—two colleagues who have earned Iino’s deep trust—approach their work with the same "perspective" she values.
Putting Care into Both Flavor and Appearance
"I try not to lose sight of the customer’s perspective—asking myself, ‘What would I want to buy?’ Taste is, of course, essential, but appearance matters just as much. With the Japanese Parfait series we’ve been developing recently, we treat each topping as a design element and pay close attention to how everything is presented."
For En, who is in charge of Japanese sweets, the key focus is how appealing a product can look within the limited space of the sweets section. From the toppings to the packaging itself, every detail is carefully considered.
"Our basic way of thinking is the same, but if I were to add one more thing, it would be how important it is to value the passion of the manufacturers who work with us on development."
Following En, these were the words shared by Maeda, who is in charge of Western-style sweets.
Maeda
I believe that if the passion of the people who created a product isn’t there, customers will see right through it. That’s why both we and our manufacturing partners work to create products we can genuinely agree on.
What En mentioned about presentation is also extremely important. If the appeal doesn’t come across to store owners first, it can be difficult for a product to make it onto the shelves. That’s why we pay close attention to choosing product names that are clear and easy to understand at a glance…
En
There are times when it might feel a bit too explanatory… That’s something we’re not particularly good at.
The two nod in perfect sync—no surprise, since they were assigned to the sweets team at the same time.
At first, Maeda was responsible for both Japanese and Western-style sweets. En joined as an assistant MD and, after learning the fundamentals of product development from Maeda, went on to become the MD in charge of Japanese sweets.
That shared journey led them to take on an entirely different approach to sweets development—resulting in Kumo Dora (Dorayaki) with Chunky Red Bean Paste & Whipped Cream and the Quattro Chocolate Éclair.
In Pursuit of a Delightful Texture
Maeda
The concept behind both products is "a delightful texture." I believe sweets are meant to make people feel happy when they eat them. We wanted customers to experience happiness not only through flavor, but also through texture—that’s what we mean by "a delightful texture." Normally, we develop products by category, but this time we applied the same concept to both Japanese and Western-style sweets.
En
One major change was inviting external contributors to help us develop everything—from the concept to the product name. Usually, this process is handled only within our company and with the manufacturers, but this time we received a wide range of advice from a third-party perspective.
And so, Kumo Dora (Dorayaki) with Chunky Red Bean Paste & Whipped Cream and the Quattro Chocolate Éclair were born—each filled with the passion and care of the two creators.
En
When you think of dorayaki, you probably imagine something dense and chewy. But with Kumo Dora, we aimed for a light, fluffy texture—almost like a soufflé.
These days, as the term "Japanese-Western sweets" suggests, the boundaries between Japanese and Western confections are increasingly blurred.
With Kumo Dora, we set out to create an evolved interpretation of dorayaki—one that goes beyond the traditional framework of Japanese sweets and helps open up a new world of desserts.
Kumo Dora (Dorayaki) with Chunky Red Bean Paste & Whipped Cream
Maeda
Manufacturers of Japanese sweets place great importance on tradition, so incorporating new Western elements isn’t easy. Even so, En clearly shares her vision of what Japanese sweets can be with the manufacturers and moves forward by building mutual understanding and empathy. I truly admire that.
En
Maeda’s Quattro Chocolate Éclair is amazing too! She took on the challenge of creating textures—like that crisp bite—that are rare in refrigerated convenience store sweets.
Maeda
Thank you. Since éclairs are a classic item, the challenge was figuring out how to evolve them while preserving what makes them special.
But we thought, if we could let people enjoy four types of chocolate at once, we could create something entirely new—both in texture and appearance. That’s how we arrived at the Quattro Chocolate Éclair. We also designed it so the texture changes as you eat it, and we hope people enjoy that delightful transformation.
Quattro Chocolate Éclair
Making the comforting moment of enjoying sweets even happier.
What kind of changes did this new perspective bring to the team?
We are family
Iino
Product development is an ongoing journey, so we’re still only halfway there. Even so, we’ve faced many challenges along the way, and by overcoming them together as a team, I feel we’ve grown side by side. Our sense of mutual respect has grown stronger than before, and our bond has deepened.
Maeda
There’s definitely more communication than before. The mindset of looking at the sweets team as a whole—including the assistants—has spread, and I think that’s been a really significant change.
En
Our team members all have very different personalities. I’m the type who moves forward quickly on momentum. Maeda is someone who stays true to her standards while steadily carrying things through according to plan. And Iino watches over all of us. Through this experience, I’ve really come to feel again that these differences are what allow us to support one another and become stronger as a team.
Maeda
It’s like a family, isn’t it? Iino is the mom, I’m the eldest daughter, and En is the younger daughter.
Iino
…That makes me really happy. I truly learn so much from the two of you, and I’m grateful that I get to be part of this team.
En
We really are family!
With a bond like family, the team creates sweets that bring happiness to customers.
Their shared "perspective" will continue to evolve in the days ahead.
This text has been translated using an automatic translation tool.
