Convenience chain 7-Eleven is on a roll opening six outlets across Victoria, NSW and Queensland in August.
Braeden Lord, GM retail operations, said “Opening this number of stores while balancing additional safety requirements and restrictions due to Covid-19 has taken a phenomenal effort from our entire team. From construction, recruitment, supply chain, merchandising, training and store operations everyone involved has done an incredible job.”
Lord explained a number of factors are contributing to the continued growth of the network.
“7-Eleven is a customer driven growth organisation, opening on average 30 stores a year. Our new sites reflect a desire to be very accessible to our customers both in filling current suburban network gaps and in new communities,” he said.
Expansion plans include high-density locations such as Richmond West and Maidstone as well as moving into regional and suburban locations such as Woombye, Singleton, Tarneit West and Booragoon.
“Our recently transformed supply chain capability enables daily fresh replenishment into new communities that are natural geographical extensions from our existing networks,” Lord said.
“Sophisticated insights and data capability help us ensure that our store network is future fit for the changing shape of the retail landscape and the evolution of customer habits.
“Essentially, our insights capability means we identify the right location and build the right product offer that creates a small business, likely franchised, that feeds a healthy local customer demand,” he said.
The convenience chain earlier this year introduced a delivery service and has unveiled a new format outlet too.
In July Angus McKay told Inside Franchise Business Executive “This last fiscal year, we didn’t deviate substantially from our opening plans. We’re preserving cash but have not materially changed gross store opening numbers. Queensland has dominated store openings, in this fiscal year it will be Victoria, and those plans are well set.
“Covid-19 has been a speed bump for us, but it’s not a monumental one. Business has travelled well. ”
