Aeon and Trial have announced plans to open new stores in Hokkaido around the same time, setting the stage for an intense battle for shoppers in Otofuke Town and Chitose City.
In October 2026, Trial Smart Otofuke Kino will open directly behind Aeon’s MaxValu Otofuke store in Otofuke Town. Daiichi Otofuke is also located nearby, and the 3 stores are expected to compete for shoppers. Trial Smart operates stores positioned around high-quality products, and intensified price competition is seen as unavoidable.
Later that month, The Big Chitose Budokan-mae store is scheduled to open in Chitose City, bringing existing stores operated by Aeon Hokkaido and Trial Company into close proximity. Given these locations, competition is expected to develop with the two companies alternating between offense and defense.
Views are spreading that the opening of the new Otofuke Kino store will make intensified price competition unavoidable. Even before the opening, an Aeon Hokkaido executive indicated an attitude of “fighting back when challenged,” expressing vigilance over the competition between the two companies.
Aeon Hokkaido and Trial have previously competed in the Shin-Hasshappu area of Teine Ward, where Trial Smart Shin-Hasshappu opened behind MaxValu Shin-Hasshappu and drove lower prices while strengthening its competitiveness in fresh foods and prepared dishes. The Otofuke contest is likely to develop in a direction where the moves toward supermarket formats and EDLP reinforce each other.