HQ and Seven-Eleven Japan Begin Collaboration on "Compact Stores"

HQ Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Shoji Sakamoto), which advocates "welfare as investment," announced the start of a collaboration with Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. regarding its "Compact Stores." Through this partnership, companies can combine Seven-Eleven's "Compact Stores" installed within their facilities with HQ's meal subsidy service, "Shokuji Hojo HQ," to provide richer employee benefits. This addresses the issues of cost and inequality associated with traditional company cafeterias, maximizing the quality of life for all employees. The collaboration is driven by increasing demand for employee living support due to inflation and growing interest in meal subsidies following tax reforms. "Shokuji Hojo HQ" is a service that allows companies to provide a tax-exempt 50% subsidy for employee meals using a dedicated "HQ Card" (Visa Business Card). It can be used at Visa-affiliated stores nationwide, including restaurants and convenience stores. Seven-Eleven's "Compact Stores" are designed to improve convenience for workers as part of welfare programs, deployable in various locations like factories, offices, apartments, and dormitories, serving as an alternative to company cafeterias. The collaboration offers four key benefits: easier use of in-house convenience stores with "Shokuji Hojo HQ," 24/7 availability during store operating hours, optimization of fixed costs by converting from traditional cafeterias to "Compact Stores" (allowing funds to be reallocated as direct employee compensation), and significant reduction in administrative tasks for tax-exempt operations. HQ Inc. was established in March 2021, with Shoji Sakamoto as CEO. The company focuses on maximizing employee experience (EX) through its EX platform, offering services like "Shokuji Hojo HQ," "Cafeteria HQ," and "Coaching HQ." HQ raised 2 billion JPY in Series B funding in 2024.