FamilyMart’s Tearful Eye Stickers Turn Expiring Meals into Acts of Kindness

FamilyMart has launched a series of endearing “Tearful Eye Stickers” designed to draw attention to discounted meals nearing expiration. Featuring cartoon characters with teary eyes and the message “Please help,” these stickers adorn lunch boxes, rice balls, and sandwiches, encouraging customers to rescue perfectly good food before it’s discarded. The initiative pairs emotional visual cues with discounted prices, creating a powerful reminder that food shouldn’t go to waste simply because fresher stock has arrived.

Introduced nationwide in March 2025, the campaign evolved from a pilot program conducted a year earlier. In its initial 2024 tests, stores using the teary-eyed design saw a 5% increase in sales of soon-to-expire meals compared to those using plain discount labels. Based on those results, FamilyMart estimated that a full rollout could reduce food waste by approximately 3,000 tons per year. Customer feedback was overwhelmingly positive — many said the stickers made them feel compelled to “help” the crying meals, transforming an everyday purchase into an act of kindness.

The sticker design has since been refined for greater visibility, with larger text and more expressive faces to instantly catch shoppers’ attention. To make the experience even more engaging, a small animated character now appears on the register screen to thank customers who buy discounted items.

In October 2025, FamilyMart took the project one step further by releasing the Tearful Eye Sticker design for public use, allowing other businesses and retailers to join the movement against food waste. With this open initiative, FamilyMart hopes to spark broader awareness that every meal — no matter how close to expiration — deserves a second chance.

Written by Otávio Santiago, a designer passionate about creating meaningful visual experiences through graphic, motion, and 3D design. Based between Berlin and Lisbon, he works across disciplines — from print and branding to digital and animation.