FamilyMart Unveils First New Uniform in 10 Years, Relaxes Hair and Hijab Rules

Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart unveiled its first new employee uniform in ten years on Wednesday. The company, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary, made the announcement during its "FamiFes 2026" event. The new uniform features dark green T-shirts, available in both short-sleeve and long-sleeve styles. FamilyMart will begin rolling out the changes across its approximately 16,500 stores starting September 1.

In addition to the new uniform, FamilyMart announced it would relax its hair and hijab rules, allowing employees to choose their hair color freely and wear religious head coverings such as the hijab. The company stated that the changes are part of a new grooming standard created "in response to the changing times and diverse values."

The relaxed rules are seen more as a recruitment strategy than a style statement, as FamilyMart employs roughly 200,000 store staff nationwide, with about 13% being foreign nationals. The company hopes to grow this share as staffing in convenience stores becomes increasingly challenging due to Japan's shrinking workforce.

The move comes as other Japanese retailers also expand their offerings to accommodate Muslim customers. Uniqlo, for instance, recently launched three new hijab styles in Southeast Asia, making head coverings a permanent part of its LifeWear lineup. Both FamilyMart and Uniqlo's initiatives have sparked discussions online, with some praising the companies for embracing diversity, while others remain critical.

One user suggested that people who oppose the hijab policy or relaxed hair rules could simply choose not to shop there, implying that criticism from those who continue to shop at the stores might be more damaging to the chains.