Secoma

What Secoma does

Secoma is a privately held Japanese holding company headquartered in Sapporo that operates the Seicomart convenience store chain, one of Japan's oldest CVS brands, with the first store opened in 1971 and the current legal entity established in 1974. The company runs 1,191 convenience stores (1,090 in Hokkaido and 101 in the Kanto region) as of June 2026, achieving 99% population coverage in Hokkaido through a mix of direct-operated stores and franchise locations under the Hamana Club network. Secoma employs approximately 20,000 people across 26 group companies that span the full vertical: agricultural production, food manufacturing, logistics, and retail operations.

The group's core technology stack centers on the proprietary SMS POS system (developed since 1979), the Pecoma electronic money and Secoma member app (5.83 million members), and the Hot Chef in-store food preparation system installed in approximately 80% of stores. The in-house product portfolio includes approximately 900 Retail Brand (private label) SKUs across ~3,500 total product types, with manufacturing executed by group subsidiaries. A vertically integrated logistics network runs approximately 70,000 km of daily truck distance. External wholesale (外販) of group-produced food items flows into restaurants, department stores, hotel and hospital cafeterias, and government/municipal procurement channels supported by disaster cooperation agreements with 63 Hokkaido municipalities.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) direct convenience store retail sales across the 1,191-store network, (2) franchise fees and wholesale supply to Hamana Club operators, (3) external B2B wholesale of group-manufactured products, and (4) real estate and holding company management fees. The customer base is heavily retail-consumer (mass-market Japanese convenience store shoppers), supplemented by franchise store owners, B2B wholesale accounts, and government/municipal partners. The company is privately held with no public funding rounds and does not disclose revenue.

Name

Secoma

Legal name

株式会社セcoma

Website

https://secoma.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Secoma is a privately held Japanese holding company that operates the Seicomart convenience store chain (1,191 stores across Hokkaido and Kanto) through 26 vertically integrated subsidiaries spanning agricultural production, food manufacturing, logistics, and retail, serving mass-market consumers, franchisees, and B2B wholesale accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convenience Store Retail

NAICS

Convenience Retailers and Vending Machine Operators (44513), Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Convenience Stores (5412), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Supermarket Operators with In-Store Foodservice/Prepared Foods Focus (CRAHAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Shelf-Stable Pantry Staples (Grains, Pasta, Rice, Beans, Canned Foods) (CRADAAAA), Prepared Foods & Catering-Focused Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAM)

Keywords

• Convenience store operations
• Retail supply chain
• Private label products
• In-store food preparation
• Regional food distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Sapporo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Convenience Store Retail Operations: Revenue from direct operation and franchise fees of Seicomart convenience stores. Direct stores (直轄店) operated by Seiko Retail Service generate retail revenue. Franchise stores pay royalties and purchase products through the group supply chain.
2. Group Company Manufacturing Sales: Group companies manufacture private label products (RB/Retail Brand, approximately 900 products), hot food (Hot Chef), and various food items sold through Seicomart stores and to external customers.
3. External Sales (外販): Secoma group products sold to external retailers, restaurants, and overseas markets. Includes ice cream, dairy products, and regional specialty products manufactured by group companies.
4. Real Estate and Group Management: Secoma (holding company) manages group companies and generates revenue from real estate leasing and management fees from subsidiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Secoma operates the Seicomart convenience store chain (1,191 stores, primarily in Hokkaido) through a vertically integrated supply chain spanning agricultural production, food manufacturing, logistics, and retail. The company sells its Secoma Retail Brand (RB) private label products (~900 SKUs) and runs the Hot Chef in-store freshly-prepared food service across approximately 80% of stores, distributing through directly operated stores (~80%+), franchise stores (Hamana Club), and external wholesale.

Product overview

Secoma is a Japanese holding company operating the Seicomart convenience store chain with 1,191 stores primarily in Hokkaido (1,090 stores) and expanding into Kanto (101 stores). The company's product portfolio centers on its proprietary Secoma Retail Brand (RB) private brand, which encompasses approximately 900 products developed through its integrated supply chain. The ecosystem includes Hot Chef (in-store food preparation system providing freshly cooked meals), Secoma brand beverages, dairy products, Japanese sweets, snacks, and regional specialties. Products are manufactured through Secoma's group companies using local Hokkaido ingredients, emphasizing the 'ここにあるおいしさを、お手ごろに' (here's the deliciousness, at affordable prices) concept. The Secoma brand spans ice cream (including signature Melon Soft), mineral water (Kyogoku Water), yogurts, alcoholic beverages (Strong Sour series), wagashi sweets, and seasonal limited-edition products. All products flow through the company's owned logistics and retail network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seicomart Convenience Stores Convenience store chain operating 1,191 stores primarily in Hokkaido (1,090 stores, achieving 99% population coverage in the prefecture) with expansion into the Kanto region (92 stores in Ibaraki, 9 stores in Saitama). Stores feature Hot Chef in-store food preparation and the Secoma Retail Brand product line, operated through directly managed stores (~80%+) and Hamana Club franchise stores.
• Hot Chef In-Store Prepared Foods In-store food preparation service in which store employees cook freshly prepared hot meals on-premises, including bento boxes, soba, ramen, cutlet dishes (Katsudon), fried chicken, and fresh noodles. Standardized recipes, training systems, and quality control protocols ensure consistency. Installed in approximately 80% of Seicomart stores.
• Secoma Retail Brand (RB) Private Label Products Private label products developed and manufactured through Secoma's vertically integrated supply chain. The line includes approximately 900 product varieties across categories including ice cream, beverages, mineral water, Japanese sweets, snacks, yogurt, dairy products, processed seafood, noodles, bread, and alcoholic beverages (Strong Sour series). Products emphasize local Hokkaido ingredients and the concept of providing regional deliciousness at affordable prices.
• Pecoma Electronic Money and Mobile App Proprietary electronic money and membership platform integrated with the Seicomart Club Card and mobile app. Enables mobile payments, point accumulation, coupons, reservations, and data-driven marketing. The system has approximately 5.83 million registered members and underpins customer loyalty across the Seicomart network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% population coverage in Hokkaido (1,191 stores total)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Hokkaido Development BureaumajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Agreement for cooperation in maintaining and developing agricultural production spaces in Hokkaido. Supports regional agriculture and food supply chain sustainability.
• Hokkaido UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Disaster cooperation agreement for emergency supply provision during emergencies. Supports university community during disasters.
• Hokkaido Electric Power and NissanmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Power supply cooperation agreement for emergency response. Enables continued operations during power outages through vehicle-to-store power supply capabilities.
• 63 Hokkaido MunicipalitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Disaster cooperation agreements with 63 Hokkaido municipalities for emergency supply provision and community support during disasters. Includes town development agreements for regional revitalization.
• Ground Self-Defense Force (Northern Army)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Disaster cooperation agreement for emergency supply provision. Coordinates military logistics support with store network during large-scale disasters.
• Hokkaido PrefecturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Comprehensive cooperation agreement for regional development. Includes disaster response cooperation for emergency supply provision. Active collaboration on regional product development and marketing initiatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Seven & i Holdings: Japanese retail conglomerate holding Seven-Eleven Japan, Ito-Yokado supermarkets, and York Benimaru. Comparable as a parent of Japan's dominant CVS chain plus supermarket operations. Provides benchmark for what a nationally scaled retail holding company looks like that Secoma could aspire to in Kanto expansion.
• Ito-Yokado: Major Japanese supermarket and general merchandise retailer, part of Seven & i Holdings. Comparable as a multi-format grocery retailer with private label food products and prepared meals. Different format (supermarket vs CVS) but competes for similar household food-spend wallet share in metro areas.
• Aeon (AEON Group): Japan's largest retail conglomerate operating supermarkets, convenience stores (Mini Stop), drug stores, and financial services. Comparable as a broad grocery retail competitor with vertically integrated operations and private label development. Represents a much larger but more diversified competitor to Secoma's integrated supply chain model.

Direct peers

• Lawson: Second-largest Japanese convenience store chain with approximately 14,000 stores, owned by Mitsubishi Corporation and Lawson, Inc. Comparable to Seicomart in CVS retail format, private label (Lawson Select) product development, and loyalty program (Ponta / d-point integration). Represents a direct competitor with national scale Secoma lacks.
• Mini Stop: Japanese convenience store chain with approximately 1,900 stores, owned by AEON Group. Comparable in CVS retail format and in-store food preparation (especially soft-serve ice cream focus). Smaller-scale competitor, but operates with similar integrated brand-product-retail approach to Secoma.
• Seven-Eleven Japan: Japan's largest convenience store chain with approximately 21,000 stores nationwide. Directly comparable to Seicomart in core CVS format, in-store food preparation programs, and private label development. Represents both the leading benchmark for Secoma's operational model and the principal competitive threat in any geographic expansion.
• Daily Yamazaki: Mid-sized Japanese convenience store chain with strong regional concentration in eastern Japan and Kyushu. Comparable to Seicomart in being a regionally rooted CVS chain prioritizing local relationships over national scale. Most similar regional-density peer to Seicomart's Hokkaido-concentrated model.
• FamilyMart: Third-largest Japanese convenience store chain with approximately 16,000 stores. Comparable in CVS format, in-store food preparation (Famichiki fried chicken), and private label offerings. Now under Itochu Corporation ownership following merger with Circle K Sunkus. National-scale competitor to Secoma.

Regional players

• Poplar: Smaller Japanese convenience store chain with concentration in western Japan, particularly Hiroshima and surrounding prefectures. Comparable as a regionally focused CVS operator, but operates in different geographic territories from Secoma so does not directly compete for the same customer base.
• Co-op Sapporo (Sapporo Consumers' Co-operative): Hokkaido-based consumer cooperative operating supermarkets and delivery services throughout the region. Directly competes with Seicomart for Hokkaido household food spend, with a member-ownership structure providing some parallel community-embedded positioning. Most direct Hokkaido-specific retail competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seicomart_pr
• Facebookfacebook.com/seicomart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seicomart

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Secoma