Convenience store chain Lawson is to increase its store count in Asean countries from 100 to 5000 within five years.

Lawson says it will invest around $280 million to support the expansion plan, using Thailand as its regional hub.

“We want to shift our focus to Asean to cash in on the huge consumer purchasing power after the Asean integration in 2015,” says CEO Takeshi Niinami.

“Thailand will remain a dominant, critical country for Asean and even more so after 2015. We did not come here just to open stores. We are here to position Thailand as a strategic base to expand our business, procure products and set up a merchandise development centre for Asean,” he said.

There are currently 13 Lawson stores in Bangkok, all operated by a joint venture with Saha Group. That store count will be increased to 1000 by 2018.

Meanwhile, the convenience chain lowered the number of stores it plans to open in China from 10,000 to 2000 in five years due to the nation’s economic slowdown.