TOKYO -- Convenience store chain Lawson could report just over 16 billion yen ($142 million) in group operating profit for the first quarter ended in May, down 7% on the year due to ballooning costs sparked by Japan's labor shortage.
Yet the Japanese company apparently snared nearly 160 billion yen in gross operating revenue, a 7% gain and a record for the three-month period. That performance may translate to a higher gross operating profit as well.
