Hikaru Adachi

What began as a knack for seasonal showmanship like an Afternoon Tea Fair and Black Friday activations, has evolved into a more ambitious, IP-driven growth engine over the last few years. Hikaru Adachi has pushed FamilyMart deeper into the pop-culture economy, brokered high-impact collaborations with gaming and anime franchises such as Demon Slayer, Pokémon, Haikyu and Jujutsu Kaisen. It's a small shift in what a convenience store can mean to a user and fandom, it turns out, is a remarkably loyal loyalty programme.

He is also leaning into more immersive retail formats. Fami-Fest is a good example, introducing a “playable convenience store” concept that brings gamification into the physical retail environment. Campaigns like the Shohei Ohtani onigiri promotion, which delivered a 20 percent sales uplift, reflect a broader strategy of tying cultural relevance directly to commercial performance.

This approach is delivering results. FamilyMart has recorded three consecutive years of strong growth and picked up a Gold at the Japan Branding Awards 2025, reinforcing its position as a brand that is evolving with consumer expectations.

As head of the Sustainability Committee, he has championed initiatives such as food drives, recycling programmes and the Tearful Eyes Sticker, which has reduced food waste by around 3,000 tonnes each year, show how small interventions can scale across a large retail network.

He has also focused on building a more inclusive workplace. In a traditionally conservative market, FamilyMart is recognised for its efforts in diversity and inclusion, including the JEED President’s Effort Prize and a sixth consecutive Gold in the Pride Index 2025, along with a second Rainbow Certification.

Beyond FamilyMart, Adachi is a visible marketing voice in the market—council member at Marketing Agenda, keynote speaker at major industry forums, lecturer at Waseda's CMO Program, and now visiting professor at Hitotsubashi University Business School, his alma mater. The classroom, like the convenience store, is another place he's decided to run differently.