Do you think convenience stores should be open 24 hours a
day? //
A:
I think convenience stores should close sometime in the evening.//There aren’t enough people working at convenience stores these days, so the staff has
to work long hours.//And besides, the number of people who visit convenience stores late at night has gone
down.//
B:
I’m afraid I disagree.//Even if the number has gone down, it’s still important for convenience stores to be
open 24 hours a day, and not just because of their products.//
C:
What do you mean?//
B:
Well, they offer essential services, too.//Lots of people go there to use their ATMs and copy machines, even late at
night.//
C:
That’s a good point.//And when there’s an earthquake or other natural disaster, people depend on
convenience stores for food and first aid supplies.//Everyone knows where the closest convenience store is, but not everyone knows where
the closest evacuation area＊
is.//
A:
I suppose convenience store owners need to make their jobs more attractive to find
new staff.//
B:
That’s one option.//Another option is to hire more foreign workers.//In Tokyo these days, you can find foreign staff at many convenience stores.//We can also solve the problem with technology.//Some convenience store chains are testing technology that allows customers to pay for
goods without even going to a cash register.//
A:
Wow!//Let me summarize the main points.//There isn’t enough staff to support 24-hour convenience
stores, but there are good reasons to keep them open.//Convenience store owners can try to address the problem by hiring new local and
foreign staff as well as by using technology.//＊evacuation area（避難所）