Japan's three biggest convenience store chains are expanding their offerings of household goods, hoping to take advantage of a growing trend caused by the pandemic.

Lawson began selling about 200 items from the Muji brand this month, including products like cosmetics, stationery, and socks.

Officials say they want to meet growing demand from customers who prefer to shop near their homes.

Lawson plans to expand the Muji offerings nationwide by next year. It had been selling the products on a trial basis at some stores in and around Tokyo.

Seven-Eleven Japan aims to offer more items produced by Daiso, a major 100-yen store chain. It plans to sell them at almost all of its outlets by the end of August.

Meanwhile, FamilyMart has started selling clothing and kitchen goods under its own brand.

Convenience stores in Japan are still struggling from the pandemic downturn. An industry group says the number of customers remains below pre-pandemic levels.