コープさっぽろ converted Engaru Minami Store to a low-price, fresh-food-focused store format, making it the 12th such store in Hokkaido. The conversion was carried out on 23 October 2026 and is attracting attention as a development in the Hokumon area.
コープさっぽろ converted Engaru Minami Store in Minamimachi, Engaru Town, to a low-price, fresh-food-focused store format. It is the second store of this format in the Hokumon area, following Miwa Store, and the 12th in Hokkaido. The conversion date was 23 October 2026, and the store has adopted a format that strengthens over-the-counter sales of prepared fish products and its specialist meat offering.
The fresh-food-focused format offers low-priced fruit and vegetables purchased directly from wholesale markets, while its prepared-foods section aims to combine low prices with good taste. It also offers store-made original sweets such as “Toyohiko Fruits,” and operations are moving toward an EDLP-style supermarket format.
Since the conversion, sales have continued to grow at a double-digit rate, and visits by families with children and younger customers are said to have increased in addition to those by middle-aged and older customers. As consumers have become more focused on saving money amid rising prices, the format is being viewed as part of their efforts to protect household finances.
Engaru Town also has a concentration of competitors, including City Engaru Store and DZ Mart Engaru Store. The conversion is expected to intensify competition in the town, including among drugstores.