Key Facts
• May 2025: Tomohiro Akutsu appointed as President of Seven-Eleven Japan.
• June 20, 2025: Akutsu revealed plans to shift product decision-making to planning teams.
• Rising inflation has led to increased consumer cost-saving behavior, impacting company performance.
• Akutsu emphasized avoiding a low-price strategy to attract long-term customers.
• Identified overemphasis on “taste” as limiting product innovation.
• Plans to introduce flexible, creative approaches to product development.
• Advertising strategies to be revamped, including using popular celebrities and new slogans.
• Akutsu aims to create a “playful yet excellent” brand image.
Summary
Tomohiro Akutsu, President of Seven-Eleven Japan since May 2025, announced significant changes to the company’s decision-making and branding strategies. In an effort to transform the company’s top-down corporate culture, product development authority has been transferred from executives to planning teams. Amid rising inflation and shifting consumer priorities, Akutsu rejected a low-price strategy, instead focusing on innovative and flexible product development. He also highlighted the need to address the company’s overemphasis on taste, which has stifled creativity. Advertising will also undergo a revamp, with plans to use popular celebrities and fresh slogans to create a more engaging brand image. Akutsu’s vision is to establish Seven-Eleven as a “playful yet excellent” brand, adapting to modern consumer expectations while maintaining quality.
