As part of the 2024 C&I Industry Leaders Forum, Angus McKay, CEO and Managing Director, 7-Eleven Australia, discusses what was a monumental year for 7-Eleven Australia and what the company’s plans are moving forward.
C&I: What have been the biggest highlights for 7-Eleven over the past 12 months?
McKay: Our most significant milestone in the last year was, after more than 47 years of private ownership, joining the 7-Eleven International family.
7-Eleven Australia is now a wholly owned subsidiary of 7-Eleven International. Mr Shin Abe has been appointed Executive Chairman. 7-Eleven International has a long history in convenience retailing. We are excited about the opportunity to work more closely with our international counterparts to grow our business by focusing on providing our customers with convenience and value, and continuing to make the everyday easier so Australians can live a good life.
C&I: What will be your main priorities for the remainder of 2024?
McKay: We’ll continue to meet the needs of our customers by providing the right products, at the right time, to give our customers the convenience and value they expect. Additionally, we’ll be focused on integrating into the 7-Eleven International business, while continuing to grow our food offer and network footprint.
C&I: What is your company doing to meet changing customer demands?
McKay: We’ve been focused on growing our food offer, and expanding our store footprint to ensure we are where consumers need us to be. That’s seen us grow our fresh food to 30% of our offer, and our network grow to more than 750 stores including new markets in regional Australia.
Thanks to our new owners 7-Eleven International, we have access to expertise from the leading convenience food experts in the world. The 7-Eleven Japan stores for example are rightfully famous for their food offering, and there is incredible potential for us to accelerate our growth in the food space by leveraging their expertise.
I think that’s an incredibly exciting prospect for our customers in terms of what we’ll be able to do in the food space.
C&I: What do you predict the year ahead in convenience to look like?
McKay: I think convenience will continue to feel the impact of consumers tightening their belts, particularly as we approach winter and the impact that has on people’s utility bills. For our industry, we need to continue to focus on giving consumers value, such as everyday essentials like their morning coffee, or in providing fresh food choices that are economical options for people grabbing a meal on the go. But as always, the convenience space is and will continue to be an exciting world.
To read more insights from leaders within the P&C and independent grocery channels, check out the latest issue of Convenience and Impulse Retailing magazine.
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