食品も雑貨も「68円均一」　安い時に大量入荷で4月値上げに対抗（2026年03月25日）

(Aired March 24, 2026) With price increases looming in April, shoppers are flocking to a store located in a residential area of ​​Adachi Ward, Tokyo. A large sign outside reads, "Challenging High Prices." This is "ABS Wholesale Center," a discount supermarket operating as both a warehouse and a retail store. The secret to its popularity is simply the low prices. Cooking oil, normally priced at over 500 yen, is 257 yen. And 500ml bottles of tea and barley tea are 48 yen each. A 2-liter bottle of mineral water is 62 yen. Amidst rising prices, shoppers are reportedly stocking up on even slightly cheaper items. Originally, this store was a food wholesaler. While wholesaling to supermarkets and other businesses, they also utilize their warehouse as a retail space, selling to the general public at prices close to wholesale. Takayuki Karakama, President of ABS Wholesale Center: This was originally a complete storage space, a real warehouse. It's not exactly a waste, but we're using it as a sales area. In front of the store is a "68 Yen Uniform Price" corner, offering prices even lower than 100 yen stores. Everything from food to general merchandise is 68 yen. And at this time of year, anticipating the price increases in April, they stock up on items that will be increasing in price. Takayuki Karakama, President of ABS Wholesale Center: Our best-selling items are 500ml bottles of green tea and 600ml bottles of barley tea. We want to maintain these prices as much as possible, because they're going up in April. So we stocked up a huge amount. According to Teikoku Databank, it is expected that 2,516 items will see price increases in April 2026. Nissin Foods will raise prices on approximately 170 items, including Cup Noodles and Chicken Ramen, for shipments starting April 1st. Furthermore, with three major companies announcing price increases for cooking oil, essential food items will see a series of price hikes this spring. Ahead of these spring price increases, this store stocked up on large quantities of instant noodles and cooking oil, which will see price increases starting with April shipments, while they were still cheap. They have stock for some time after April, so they won't be raising prices immediately. ABS Wholesale Center President Takayuki Karakama: "We can maintain the previous prices until we run out of the goods we bought at low prices. I don't think we'll be raising prices on most products anytime soon." Large quantities of cooking oil and other items were also stored in another warehouse. As April approaches, some people are exploring their own strategies to cope with the spring price increases. Couple (40s): "Ultimately, it's a waste if you stock up and can't use it all, so the only solution is to find the cheapest place to buy." 70s: "So, instead of just one store, I'll go to the cheapest place for similar items. And depending on the item, I might go to a place that's a little more expensive." Meanwhile, convenience stores have launched unique campaigns to combat rising prices. Their standard bread rolls have been enlarged in both length and width. FamilyMart, celebrating its 45th anniversary, launched its "Why 45% Increase Campaign" on the 24th. Popular items, such as 600ml bottles of tea now available in larger 950ml bottles, have been increased in volume by 45% while maintaining the same price. Many people are trying these products for the first time, drawn in by the increased volume. "I bought the spicy chicken. It was bigger than before. I'd never had it before, so I thought it was good," and "I thought I'd try it once because it's bigger. (The increase) is helpful. We can share it, everyone can eat it together," were some of the comments.