B2 – Upper Intermediate
24-hour convenience stores, as the word suggests, provide convenience to its customers by its round-the-clock availability. Along with its full-scale operation, comes the need for more manpower. In a country that suffers from labor shortage like Japan, convenience stores are getting more creative in order to fill these positions.
Read the article and find out what Lawson Japan is doing to address this issue.
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does the phrase “labor pool” mean? “The goal is to boost productivity by tapping into underutilized labor pools in areas with significant time differences from Japan.” Use it in a sentence.
- What does “around the clock” mean? “While this approach might feel a bit impersonal, the avatar system could help ensure these essential stores remain operational and accessible around the clock.” Use it in a sentence and give two synonyms.
- What does “to address something head-on” mean? “Lawson’s innovative solution aims to address this challenge head-on.” Use it in your own sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think of Lawson hiring remote workers?
- What are the advantages to this?
- What might be problems with hiring remote convenience store clerks?
- What industries suffer from labor shortages in your country? In your opinion, why are these industries affected by this?
- What do you think can be done in order to address labor shortage in a country?