by Ryan Convenience stores are the lifeblood of Taiwanese society. With over 13,000 convenience stores (1 for every 1582 people!), Taiwan boasts the second highest convenience store density worldwide, only behind South Korea. You would be hard pressed to walk a couple blocks without encountering at least one 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life, or OK Mart. Step inside and be overwhelmed by the plethora of goods, services, and features that they offer: Clean, comfortable, well-lit 24/7 spaces selling everything you could possibly need. All kinds of goods like electronics, cleaning supplies, makeup; services ranging from printing, ATMs, paying bills, sending and receiving packages; groceries both frozen and fresh; ready-to-eat meals and snacks you can consume straight from the counter or prepare using the store’s many microwaves and hot water dispensers; and spacious in-store dining areas equipped with free wi-fi for you to enjoy them. These stores truly put the “convenience” in convenience stores. But could this convenience come at a cost? In this article, I will explore the pros and cons of convenience stores in Taiwan and attempt to answer the question: should we be celebrating them as much as we do? The Good Forming Bonds and Communities Taiwanese convenience stores are intentionally designed for people to spend time in, with its comfortable seating areas, well-lit spaces, free wi-fi, accommodating staff, and cleanliness. Furthermore, being established brands selling recognizable products, these stores remove any barriers to entry – any demographic will be comfortable patronizing a convenience store regardless of age, social class, nationality etc. It is not uncommon to find students studying or just hanging out in a store, working adults having meetings, families on a grocery run, or tourists looking for a quick stop to plan their next move. All these groups of people can be found in a convenience store at the same time. Stores may also develop regular patrons over time and slowly form communities. Even for busy, ‘‘in-and-out’’ customers who just want to grab a quick coffee or bite, the awareness and recognition of others performing the same tasks as them in this transient space forms a kind of bond – a shared understanding that they are navigating through this hectic society in a similar fashion. Convenience This may be an obvious point, but it is worth stating. Convenience stores are most common in urban environments with high population density and a fast-paced lifestyle where people are perpetually pressed for time, perfectly describing Taiwan. National Taiwan University’s Sociology Professor Tseng Yen-Fen suggests convenience stores reflect life in this bustling country, with its “intense work ethic” and “obsession with immediacy”. Convenience stores are arguably integral to Taiwanese society, providing everything you need in one location – food, services, and comfort. Many studies have even gone to the extent as dubbing these stores “quasi-public utilities” and “quasi welfare facilities”. The Bad Convenience? This convenience can be a double-edged sword, however. These stores are simultaneously a consequence of the frantic, arguably overworked, culture we have here in Taiwan, and a reinforcer of it. With the number of convenience stores and the revenue they generate showing no signs of stopping, it appears that this way of life is here to stay too. Furthermore, convenience stores may also develop a culture of instant gratification and short tempers. Miura Atsushi, a Japanese Professor and Marketing Consultant, has argued that Japanese convenience stores are like a 24-hour mother: always ready to provide food and services for customers, which can lead to disgruntlement when something is not readily available. “When this happens, when people can always get what they want, then people start to want things immediately. Thus, when something isn’t available, it is easy for people to lose their tempers”. With the similarities between both convenience stores and working cultures in Taiwan and Japan, it would be fair to extend this fear to Taiwan as well. Threatening Mom-and-Pop Stores Convenience stores have also been threatening the traditional mom-and-pop stores ever since their influx after Taiwan’s liberalization of foreign investment in the 1980s. Prior to that, mom-and-pop stores and wet markets were the dominant retailers in Taiwan, but much of the former have been forced to close down and are now only more common in remote areas. There have even been exhibitions and publications wistfully looking back upon a time before the proliferation of malls and convenience chains, when mom-and-pop stores were not only the primary source of amenities, but also pillars of community. These include Jia Dong Lin’s The Shop around the Corner, and Li Hsin-Yi’s General Store Blues: Stories of Taiwan’s Mom and Pop Shops(Original Chinese Title:老雜時代:看見台灣老雜貨 店的人情、風土與物產). Health As much as convenience store food may save you on time and money, it can also cost you as much, if not more, to your health. There have been numerous studies conducted revealing the negative impact of convenience store food on one’s health. The American Heart Association found a 34% increase in likelihood of developing artery-clogging plaque with a 10% increase in nearby convenience stores. A Japanese study also found associations between frequent usages of convenience stores with low diet quality and hypertension. Mental health may be impacted too. Sociocultural Anthropologist Gavin Whitelaw embarked on a month-long experiment where he only ate convenience store food. After just two weeks, he reported feeling “emotionally empty”, and “bored and detached” by the mundane routine of returning home with plastic-wrapped food to either microwave or eat before it got cold. Amount of plastic wrap and packaging used in convenience stores.
Environmental Impact Whitelaw’s experiment also highlighted the environmental impact of convenience stores. 7-Eleven had used 8398 tons of plastic in 2019 alone. Although they have pledged to reduce their plastic usage by 10% by 2030, this would still result in over 7500 tons of plastic used by them in a year. If that is difficult to visualize, Whitelaw provides a more personal account. In just the first week of his experiment, he accumulated 28 plastic bags, 13 pairs of chopsticks, 11 plastic spoons, and two 10-litre bags worth of plastic plates, covers, wrapping, and PET bottles that clogged up his apartment. Conclusion Overall, I have mixed feelings on Taiwan’s convenience stores. I certainly appreciate the comforts they provide, both in terms of the goods and services they offer, and the pleasant community interactions that I have experienced in them, but I also recognize the negative impacts they have on society, the environment, and health. In the grander scheme of things, it is difficult for individual people to address the effects of environmental harm, capitalist conquest, and possible reinforcement of toxic cultural traits. However, I suppose we can at least preserve our own health, and do whatever little we can to mitigate those former issues by enjoying convenience stores in moderation. References American Heart Association. “Convenience stores save time but may be hard on your health.” Last reviewed April 9, 2020. https://www.heart.org/en/university-hospitals-harrington-heart-and-vascular/convenience-stores-save-time-but-may-be-hard-on-your-health. Chang, Chris. “It’s time for 7-Eleven to take the plastic crisis seriously: Greenpeace Taiwan.” Taiwan News, September 23, 2020. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4013901. Chang, Cindy. “Taiwan: Retail Foods.” In USDA Foreign Agricultural Service: Global Agricultural Information Network Report. December 18, 2014. DeAeth, Duncan. “The social hub of modern Taiwan: Convenience stores.” Taiwan News, August 31, 2017. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3243435. Jewell, Mike. “The Convenience Store Phenomenon.” Euroview: European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan, October 8, 2020. https://euroview.ecct.com.tw/category-inside.php?id=372. Kaji, Ayumi et al. “Frequent Usage of Convenience Stores is Associated with Low Diet Quality.” Nutrients 11, no. 6 (June 2019), 1212. Tseng, Esther. “Service is Our Second Name: Taiwan’s Amazing Convenience Stores.” Taiwan Panorama, March 2023. https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/en/Articles/Details?Guid=0ba0c61c-46eb-46af-b3f6-7d37a547c39d&CatId=9. Wang, Wan-chia. “Urban Oases: Convenience Stores Transform Taiwan.” Taiwan Panorama, July 2010. https://www.taiwan-panorama.com/zh-tw/Articles/Details?Guid=2a1863fc-57e9-47f0-9bf4-576c8f768db0&langId=3&CatId=7. Whitelaw, Gavin H. “Konbini-Nation: The Rise of the Convenience Store in Post-Industrial Japan.” In Consuming Life in Post-Bubble Japan: A Transdisciplinary Perspective, edited by Katarzyna J. Cwiertka & Ewa Machotka, 69-88. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018. a
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
|