Circle K Sunkus (サークルKサンクス, Sākuru K Sankusu, stylized as CircleKSunkus) was a chain of company-operated and franchised convenience stores in Japan. The company is a division of UNY Co., Ltd., which licensed the Circle K name from Alimentation Couche-Tard, a Canadian convenience store company that owns the Circle K brand.

Circle K Sunkus Co., Ltd
Native name
株式会社サークルKサンクス
Kabushiki gaisha Sākuru Kei Sankusu
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryRetail (Convenience stores)
FoundedTokyo, Japan (2004)
DefunctSeptember 1, 2016
FateThe FamilyMart Co., Ltd was merged with UNY Co., Ltd to create Family Mart UNY Holdings Co., Ltd, which means all Circle K and Sunkus' stores were operated as FamilyMart.
SuccessorFamilyMart
Headquarters20-1 Shiohama 2, Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan
Key people
Motohiko Nakamura, President
Revenue-
Number of employees
1,759 (2010)
ParentUNY Co., Ltd.
WebsiteCircle K Sunkus' official website - at the Wayback Machine (archived 2016-01-04)
Derivation of the Sunkus logo
Circle K Higashi Osaka -Kawada shop (Higashi-Osaka Japan)
SUNKUS Hachinohe-Chibagakuenmae store

At the typical Japanese convenience store, goods such as magazines, manga, soft drinks, contraceptives, onigiri, and bento are available.

As of September 1, 2016, due to Circle K Sunkus’ acquisition and absorption by FamilyMart, all Circle K Sunkus stores have been rebranded as FamilyMart stores as a result of the FamilyMart Co. and Uny Group Holdings Co. merger.[1]

History

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The first Circle K store in Japan opened on March 15, 1980, in Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya.

The first Sunkus store opened in Aoba-ku, Sendai, on July 23, 1980. The Sunkus chain expanded to Tokyo in 1981, Hokkaido in 1982, Osaka in 1989 and Nagoya in 1992.

Sunkus and Circle K Japan formed an equity and business alliance in October 1998.

The franchiser, Sunkus & Associates Inc., officially merged with Circle K Japan Co., Ltd., as of the September 1, 2004, fiscal year and was known officially as Circle K Sunkus Co., Ltd (株式会社サークルKサンクス). The two brands remained separate — convenience stores owned by the company had either a Sunkus sign or a Circle K sign.[citation needed]

Facts about Sunkus

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The word "Sunkus" is a combination of the words "Sun" and the word "Thanks",[2] The logo is a combination of the words "Sun", "Kids", and "Us".

References

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  1. ^ "Japan's FamilyMart, UNY to merge in September 2016". Reuters. 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  2. ^ Circle K Sunkus: Company Outline Archived 2005-12-01 at the Wayback Machine.
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