By Tetsuya Mizuno
Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
MELBOURNE--Seven & i Holdings Co., the Japanese operator of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, is increasingly shifting its overseas business strategy from a licensing model to an equity-based model, which involves direct share acquisition.
In Australia, the company has been expediting its decision-making process while formulating a strategy to expand its food lineup at 7-Eleven stores to meet the diverse needs of local customers.
In mid-February, a 7-Eleven gas station convenience store in Melbourne held a sales campaign for Japanese food. Six varieties of rice balls were displayed in the prepared foods section, including tuna and mayonnaise, and teriyaki chicken. Kiking Rumbee, an area manager of the store, said rice balls are especially popular with students, who grab them on their way home from school.
"(Australians) tend to be attracted to convenience store food when they visit Japan," said Shinji Abe, chairman of 7-Eleven Australia. "Being able to provide Japanese food is one of our strengths."
The store is trying to break away from its dependence on sales of gasoline and cigarettes by developing products that meet local needs, with a focus on providing freshly made products.
Australia has a multicultural society with a large immigrant population. That feature enables Seven & i Holdings to leverage its global network, one of its strengths.
At a 7-Eleven store located in an area with a large immigrant population from India, many spicy dishes were being sold, and the staff spoke a diverse range of languages. Store Manager Balaji Murugesan, who immigrated from India, said the store's staff have diverse cultural backgrounds, enabling them to assist customers who do not speak English.
Seven & i Holdings is trying to quickly identify the needs of local people and incorporate them into its business strategy to gain a competitive edge in Australia.
In 2024, a group company of Seven & i Holdings acquired a 100% stake in the operating company of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain in Australia to expedite its decision-making process. The Japanese company aims to increase the number of stores in Australia from the current 763 to over 1,000 by 2030. It opened about 30 stores in 2025 -- a record high -- and plans to accelerate that pace this year.
Australia's population is expected to continue growing. Its median age is under 40, making the population significantly younger than Japan's.
"(Australia) is very attractive in terms of its population growth and stable economy," Abe said.
Fiona Hayes, CEO of 7-Eleven Australia, said the company aims to be the neighborhood convenience store chain that customers can use from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed.
The expansion of Seven & i Holdings' overseas business is a key part of its growth strategy. As of February 2025, the company had about 86,000 convenience stores in 19 countries and regions. By 2030, it aims to have increased that to 100,000 stores in 30 countries and regions. The company plans to open more stores in Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East and North Africa.
"We believe that (our progress in) Australia provides the ideal model for success globally," Abe said. "We want to apply the knowledge and skills (we've accumulated in Australia) in fields such as product development, store development and logistics to other regions."
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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.
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March 23, 2026 22:32 ET (02:32 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 The Yomiuri Shimbun
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