7-Eleven is trialing a new store fit-out in certain stores across three states, to place more emphasis on customer needs.
7-Eleven GM corporate affairs Clayton Ford said the business is always working on being innovative to meet customer needs.
“In inner-city and central business district stores, our customers’ needs are more focused on food and drinks, including coffee,” Mr Ford said.
“We are trialling a new small format across a number of locations on the Eastern Seaboard. There’s one store in Brisbane, two in Sydney, and three in Melbourne,” he said.
Two additional stores will be opening in the coming weeks.
“The format gives more space for coffee and 7-Eleven fresh food such as sandwiches, sushi, hot pastry, sweet treats and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. There is also a specialised bakery range, delivered fresh into store each day,” Mr Ford said.
The trial format focuses a lot on drinks and the impulse category as well as fruit. There is less space dedicated to emergency and top up purchases.
“Our famous $1 freshly ground coffee offer has seen us grow our coffee sales to become Australia’s second largest coffee seller. In our smaller format stores, we need more coffee machines to be able to continue to grow sales, but space is limited,” Mr Ford said.
“It’s an important part of the trial to get the mix right by trying different things. We’re learning and adapting throughout the process,” he said.
“Our ongoing focus on providing quality food on the go is an exciting area of opportunity for our business.”
“We’re about providing customers with choice and value for meal times across all day parts. We’re excited about the insights this trial will provide over the coming months.”