Japan’s beleaguered shoppers are a worry for convenience stores and the economy

Kana Sekiya, 43, used to shop near a train station in Tokyo on her way back home from work. Now she drives more than 30 minutes on weekends to a discount supermarket to buy groceries in bulk — one of a growing number of consumers shifting their shopping habits as prices rise. Sekiya’s changing shopping habits are not just a concern for Japan’s once unassailable convenience stores, or konbini, but also a worrying sign for the economy, which has exited decades of deflation.