MARKET

With an extensive network of stores that are
supported by proprietary business information
systems and retail initiative processes, 7-Eleven
continues to boost its capabilities in meeting
localised product needs based on each store’s
respective community needs.
MARKET
The increasing consumer appetite for convenient
shopping and rising sales of value-added
services have developed into strong impetuses
to the development of the industry. 7-Eleven’s
rapid expansion plans continue to take place all
over Malaysia to service the rising population
and consumer purchasing power, especially in
secondary states and East Malaysia. 7-Eleven
Malaysia has also recognised franchising as an
effective strategy for regional expansion and an
effective means to diversify its operations.
This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs
to work in partnership with an international
convenience store (c-store). They can tailor their
business model to the core c-store consumer
groups’ emerging states and expectations in
providing localised based content and products
to meet the needs of the local communities.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
ACHIEVEMENTS
In 2009, 7-Eleven was awarded the Best Sales
Growth Award by the Malaysia Franchise
Association (MFA) and the National Growth
Award (Platinum Category) by the Malaysian
Retailer- Chains Association (MRCA), for having
the most number of stores opened and operating
in Malaysia. 7-Eleven has also introduced its
unique franchise programme for franchisees to
take over existing stores with proven sales track
record and giving them the flexibility to choose
their choice locations.
As the single largest convenience store
chain with over 1,274 (as of 30 June 2011)
stores nationwide, 7-Eleven serves 600,000
customers daily. 7-Eleven stores can be found
in bustling commercial areas and serene
suburban residential compounds throughout
Malaysia, from petrol stations and LRT stations
to shopping malls and medical institutions.
HISTORY
7-Eleven was founded by J. C. Thompson way
back in 1927 at The Southland Ice Company in
Dallas, Texas. In addition to being an ice vendor,
the company began offering milk, bread and
eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery
stores were closed. Thus, the concept of
convenience retailing was born!
The name 7-Eleven was introduced in 1946
because the stores are opened from 7am until
11pm. Today, the trademark of 7-Eleven’s
business is providing 24-hour convenience,
seven days a week. Together with its global
licensees, franchisees and affiliates in 18
countries, 7-Eleven operates over 39,000 stores
worldwide.
The first 7-Eleven store in Malaysia was
opened in October 1984, in Jalan Bukit Bintang,
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Kuala Lumpur. With over 1,274 stores today,
7-Eleven is an undisputed market leader in the
convenience chain store landscape in Malaysia.
PRODUCT
7-Eleven stores carry over 2,000 products
with an equal blend of international and local
mixes that vary to the tastes of the populace.
Boasting of its own propriety brands such as
the Big Gulp fountain soft drinks and Slurpee
beverages which have been its staple over the
years, 7-Eleven continues to differentiate itself
with more introductions of private labels like the
Aktif Reverse Osmosis, Aktif Distilled and Aktif
Mineral Water, and Vitamin E enriched fresh
eggs under the 7 Fresh label.
Lately, 7-Eleven has been piloting its fresh
food programme to provide a platform for
convenient healthy living. Its recent product
addition of fresh food on-the-go has successfully
allowed the business to tap into a brand new
segment of the market. 7-Eleven continues to
innovate by turning to MOLPoints offerings and
hereby boosting its online community based
shopping convenience in a seamless shopping
experience. The variety of services available
at 7-Eleven include the sales of mobile, IDD/
STD, Touch n Go reload soft pins, ink cartridge
refill, photocopying, fax, ATM, flowering order,
Internet games starter packs and reloads via
MOLPoints top-ups.
With the growth of its presence in the
communities within Malaysia, 7-Eleven has
to further innovate and diversify its means of
reaching and communicating with its customers.
With a new facelift on the corporate website,
7-Eleven is looking into better ways to meet the
online demands of a savvier online consumer
base in Malaysia today. With more accessible
and user-friendly layouts, 7-Eleven aims to be at
the heart of the consumers as their first point of
reference when it comes to c-store shopping to
sustain its growth within communities across the
nation.
7-Eleven recognises that recent technological developments have led to a more cohesive
demand on communication between the
brand and the society at large. 7-Eleven has
made its first foray into the social media scene
with the launch of the http://www.facebook.
com/7ElevenMalaysia fan page. The aim is to
tap into available channels to listen to the beat
of society and be able to interact on an unprecedented level with all its customers.
In addition to the success of its franchise
opportunity launched in 2009, 7-Eleven seeks
to further open doors of opportunity for local
entrepreneurs to be their own bosses within
their respective communities as our franchisees.
7-Eleven has also formed a joint collaboration
with Perwira Niaga Malaysia (PERNAMA) to
offer at least 100 ex-servicemen resettlement
opportunities with job placements at 7-Eleven
stores, as they work towards becoming a
7-Eleven franchisee. With recent developments
and more take-ups by local entrepreneurs,
7-Eleven will continue to seek avenues to further
enrich local community growth as a whole.
PROMOTION
7-Eleven has and will continue to adopt an
aggressive stance in launching new promotions
and contests in-store which offers great
values and a more rewarding experience to
its customers beyond the usual community
shopping experience. A recent online video
contest – “My Funniest Slurpee Video” has
showcased efficaciously the underlying passion
of our customers towards Slurpee and the
endorsement of its ubiquitous affinity with the
brand. Apart from that, 7-Eleven Malaysia was
also featured in a real-time online game show
in May 2011. This served as a useful channel
in gaining insightful customer feedback and
an opportunity for 7-Eleven to showcase their
products. Thus, be it a consumer contest
to reward customers with exclusive prizes
or Monthly Highlights promotions to help
customers stretch their Ringgit, 7-Eleven
constantly strives to renew the overall purchase
experience for its everyday customers. It is
in this same credo, to go the extra mile and
provide value-added experiences that no stores
are willing to offer, 7-Eleven
shall continue to engage and
excite loyal shoppers with
continuous rewards, simply
for making the better and
more convenient choice.
BRAND VALUES
Being the premier neighbourhood convenience store,
community building is at
the heart of 7-Eleven’s corporate social responsibility
framework. This embellishes
7-Eleven’s goal of enriching lives in our society. The
7-Eleven Community Care
is a non-profit entity set up
to implement all corporate
social responsibility and philanthropic initiatives.
7-Eleven embraces societal building
sentiments through its own unique environmental
conservation and social welfare pillars to
contribute back to the local community where
the business operates in. 7-Eleven launched its
first nationwide community care campaign in
2010. Named “Semurni Kasih Ramadhan,” the
campaign collected goods via 1,173 stores from
the customers to benefit the underprivileged
homes and individuals in the neighbourhood
of respective 7-Eleven stores. 7-Eleven does
not merely stand as a symbol for convenient
shopping but also aims to become a community
centre at the core growth of the society as
well as to help serve the less fortunate. The
Community Care donation boxes which is the
prime vehicle of fund raising has also been rolled
out at all stores to collect loose change from
customers. Proceeds from the collection will go
towards funding various community initiatives
that will make a difference.
On the “Greener” side, 7-Eleven has not
only adhered to the government’s calling on
conserving the environment by reducing the
use of plastic bags. There are also plans to go
beyond the stipulated to support Mother Nature.
Since 2009, 7-Eleven stores have switched over
to OXO-degradable plastic bags as part of its
3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Green initiatives.
Believing that 7-Eleven can play a larger role in
promoting “No Plastic Bag” days, the ultimate
goal would be to implement the initiative of “No
Plastic Bag Day” everyday at 7-Eleven.
www.7Eleven.com.my
THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
7-ELEVEN
• The first 7-Eleven store in Malaysia
opened on 9 October 1984 in Jalan
Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur and it is
still in operation today.
• 7-Eleven achieved its 1,000 stores
milestone in 2009, and the year also
marked the 25th Anniversary since its
inception in Malaysia.
• 7-Eleven’s official Facebook Fan Page is
called 7-Eleven Malaysia
• In Malaysia, 7-Eleven Day is celebrated
on 7 November (7/11) instead of July
11 which is the official birthday of the
7-Eleven convenience store.
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