Seven-Eleven Japan discovered that some franchise owners and employees were hoarding anime and game merchandise such as Pokémon cards and character lottery items before official sale dates to resell them online or to acquaintances [1, 2, 3]. The company sent a warning letter to all franchise stores on July 13, 2026, demanding strict compliance with sales rules that prohibit advance sales, hoarding, preferential sales to insiders, and resale by store staff [1, 2, 3].
Seven-Eleven Japan has also terminated some franchise agreements due to violations involving the hoarding and resale of popular character merchandise [1, 3]. The company cited damage to customer trust and its brand reputation caused by these inappropriate practices, which were reported on social media and through customer complaints [1, 2, 3]. Such merchandise likely ended up on secondhand trading platforms like Mercari, according to sources [3].
Japan’s retail industry has a history of anti-resale measures such as purchase limits to ensure fairness to consumers, and Seven-Eleven’s actions continue this effort [1]. Seven-Eleven said, "We will thoroughly alert stores so that customers can buy our products fairly" [2]. The company added, "We consider these inappropriate acts to be a major issue as they could impact the continued operation of stores. To ensure more customers can fairly purchase products, we will continue to strengthen education and reminders to stores" [3].
The warning notice issued on July 13 remains in effect, and Seven-Eleven Japan will continue enforcing policies to prevent staff scalping and restore customer trust [1, 2, 3].
