FamilyMart, one of Japan’s major convenience store chains, recently released a collection of cheap necessity items, including underwear, t-shirts, and socks. But for some reason, one particular item seems to have taken the internet world by storm: FamilyMart Socks.
FamilyMart: Making Convenience Stores More Convenient
Japanese convenience stores are famous for their wide range of products beyond food. It’s not unusual to see clothing items such as underwear and socks on the shelves. What IS unusual is having something as common as a pair of socks attracting such attention.
FamilyMart is one of Japan’s major convenience store chains. They released their new line of essentials, dubbed ‘Convenience Wear’ [1], in March 2021 as part of a promotional campaign [2]. The collection features 68 items from totes and towels to t-shirts and underwear. Yet despite this wide array of goods, the internet world is turning its focus to one specific item. FamilyMart Socks, white line socks with three stripes in the store’s signature colors, blue and green.
FamilyMart Socks Take Over Social Media
Hashtags such as #ファミマソックス (#FamilyMart socks) are trending all over Japanese Twitter. Some happy customers pose and flaunt their new socks. Others brag about how they had to visit as many as 10 different FamilyMarts [3] before finding a pair!
The widespread internet attention ignited even further last month after famous Japanese actor and influencer Takuya Kimura (KimuTaku) posted a photo of himself [4] wearing the infamous FamilyMart socks.
The photo quickly went viral on Japanese social media. But what’s interesting is, he never once mentioned the FamilyMart name, nor did he use any relevant hashtags. His photo simply shows him sitting with his dog, the top of his socks just barely visible. The boom in the trend was born completely out of his fanbase’s speculation! [5]
FamilyMart Socks Sell Out
If someone as famously fashionable as Kimura Takuya could wear this cheap, convenient design, then so could his fans! The online buzz spread across an even wider audience, and soon, these simple socks sold out. (Ironic for a convenience item to inconveniently sell out so fast!)
However, we can’t give all the credit to Mr. Takuya. His photo only helped boost the popularity of a trend that was already in the works. FamilyMart’s Line Socks appear to be the favorite of just about everyone, including the designer, Mr. Hiromichi Ochiai, himself.
The Mastermind Behind the Design
Naoto Yoshimura, head of the FamilyMart chain, recognized the tendency of convenience stores to revolutionize a variety of items. He explains, “Convenience store daily necessities specialize in responding to urgent demands.” However, he also acknowledges that in order to expand the business, it’s sometimes necessary to break away from the norm.
Wanting to shift the next revolutionary focus to convenience store underwear, Yoshimura reached out to Hiromichi Ochiai in September 2019. Ochiai is the founder of streetwear brand Facetasm. He also has past experience working on costume design for the closing ceremony of the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Ochiai explains in an interview with Fashion Snap[6] that in order to appeal to a wider crowd, he adopted an “easy-to-understand pop design” that would “fit in with any environment, including urban, residential, and rural areas”. Ochiai pitched his first design, the FamilyMart Socks, as an item that would symbolize the brand[8].
Yoshimura explains, “The line socks surprised everybody because of their high-quality design, something you never see in the convenience store industry. Black is the most popular color for convenience store wear, and in fact, there was some backlash from the company. But after the Kansai pre-sales, they became a hot topic on Twitter. In a way, the pre-sales served as a trial before our official announcement. We hadn’t even mentioned Mr. Ochiai’s name yet, nor were we actively promoting it, so I attribute that solely to the power of design”.
Why FamilyMart Socks?
Most people see convenience store clothing as cheap, disposable items to buy only in the case of an emergency, such as traveling, missing the last train and staying at a cheap motel (a common occurrence in Japan), or simply forgetting to bring a change of clothes on date night! For this reason, convenience store clothing is also usually very low-key, and often only available in black, grey, or white.
According to Mr. Yoshimura, innerwear sales are generally most common on weekend nights, while socks, specifically, sell well on rainy mornings. The majority of customers also appear to be middle-aged men. Seeing the potential of the innerwear market is what led him to try a different approach during FamilyMart’s next campaign. And his approach worked!
The birth of FamilyMart socks led to an increase in sales amongst the youth. High school students are posting matching outfit shots with their friends on social media. Over 3,700 photos on Instagram feature the #ファミマソックス hashtag. And FamilyMart TikToks have reached over 5 million views.
COVID-19’s Role?
J-CAST Trend also interviewed Yuji Kakiuchi [7], editor-in-chief of fashion magazine S Cawaii! about this trend amongst youth in particular. Mr. Kakiuchi points out that these simple, unisex socks are not only cheap and convenient. They also look good with white sneakers. (Most Japanese school uniforms require white sneakers and white indoor shoes).
Another reason he suggests is the toll Covid-19 took on the fashion industry (and the economy in general). Not a lot of people are able to spend as much on new outfits now as they were a few years ago. However, instead of buying new shoes, purchasing socks and accessories is a cheaper way to spice up an outfit. And FamilyMart Socks appear to be doing just that.
What to Read Next
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Sources
[1] コンビニエンス ウェア. https://www.family.co.jp/campaign/spot/cw.html
[2] Family Mart campaign. https://www.family.co.jp/campaign/spot/2021_40th/iikoto.html
[3] 【ファミマ】やっと見つけた！入手困難な”ファミマ柄”の靴下. https://mrs.living.jp/livingmate/livingmate111/mate_fashion/4251523
[4] Takuya Kimura’s Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQlBF9ANB7k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
[5] 木村拓哉(キムタク)のファミマソックス(靴下)のインスタ画像は？愛用は本当かorデマ(嘘)なのか検証. https://jufusion.com/kimutaku-famima-sox
[6] 「コンビニ業界の常識では考えられない」ファセッタズム落合宏理がファミリーマートと服を作る理由. https://www.fashionsnap.com/article/conveniencewear-interview/
[7] ファミリーマートの「靴下」大人気 若者にウケるポイントが詰まっていた. https://www.j-cast.com/trend/2021/07/09415440.html
[8] 売り切れ続出の「ファミマソックス」はなぜ誕生したのか 目指したのは“雨でぬれた時に買う”商品からの脱却. https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/2107/29/news035.html
