Japanese convenience store giant FamilyMart has launched a recruitment campaign featuring pop icon Lady Gaga, who shelves snacks, mops floors, and operates the register in a new video. This initiative is a direct response to Japan's ongoing labor shortage, with approximately 30% of FamilyMart's 16,000 stores facing staffing issues. The company hopes that featuring a global star will draw in and retain new recruits, particularly younger applicants who may have been deterred by previously strict appearance policies.
FamilyMart is loosening its workplace rules to make the jobs more appealing. This includes allowing diverse hair colors and encouraging staff to personalize their uniforms, which the company calls "Famima-Code." In the 30-second recruitment video, filmed on a replica FamilyMart set in Los Angeles, Lady Gaga sports a stylish, couture-inspired take on the new FamilyMart uniform, including striped socks paired with platform heels. The commercial concludes with her asking in Japanese, "Want to work at FamilyMart?"
This campaign is part of a broader effort by FamilyMart, celebrating its 45th anniversary in September 2026, to become the "most desirable workplace." They've also revamped their job recruitment website, "FamiJOB," and introduced incentives, such as FamiPay gift codes for applicants who apply and attend interviews between September 12 and November 30, 2026. The company's goal is to ensure that "staff from diverse backgrounds, including age and nationality, can work vibrantly."
