Sunday, July 13, 2003

7-Eleven exports a business model 7-Eleven, the Dallas-based convenience store chains has over 25 thousand stores, no surprise. But it remarkable that only 5,775 of those are in the United States. Where 7-Eleven is really big is in Asia. There are over 9,000 7-Elevens licensed in Japan,  According to the July 13, 2002 New York Times, Taiwan has 3,341 stores, Thailand 2,218, South Korea 1,419, and significant numbers exist in Hong Kong, Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore. In addition, the company is asking inroads in China with 137 stores. In terms of stores per million people, Taiwan leads with 148, with Japan coming in second at 78. The article ("In the Urban 7-Eleven, the Slurpee Looks Sleeker"), "convenience stores [in Asia] are more like pantries for city dwellers who are short on space." It also shows how the company is reimporting that model to ste up new urban stores in the US. 7-Eleven is pretty much maxed out in the US, and is closing stores faster than it is building them. Now it is doing the next logical thing, taking an established product and finding new markets for it abroad. China offers a gigantic growth opportunity using the models they've mastered in other Asian countries. A subsidiary to 7-Eleven has a license to open 350 shops in South China, and they are planning to open 500 shops in Beijing. 5:02:49 PM

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