7-Eleven in Taiwan

In Taiwan, 7-Eleven is owned by the Uni-President Chain Store under Uni-President Enterprises Corporation. The first 7-Eleven convenient store in Taiwan was opened in 1980, however, it was not until 1986 the company began to profit. 7-Eleven is the most popular convenience store on the island; Taiwan is third in the world for number of locations with 4,486 stores on December 31st 2006. Although the number of 7-Eleven store in Taiwan is fewer than those of United States and Japan, Taiwan 7-Eleven has the second place in the density of 8.5 km² a store in the world after Hong Kong’s density of 1.7 km² a store. Actually, even this figure does not display to the popularity of 7-Eleven in Taiwan. Considering that Taiwan’s total population is much smaller than either that of Japan or the USA, if one divides each country’s population by the number of 7-Eleven, this gives Taiwan the leading edge at 5,400 potential customers for each store, surpassing Hong Kong at 10.400 per store.

Popularity of the 7-Eleven in Taiwan

7-Eleven stores are everywhere in Taiwan. Nearly every corner of a street you can find a 7-Eleven store, and it is very often to see two 7-Eleven stores standing face to face to each other on a highly populated neighborhood. It is very different from what you can see in United States, where you would have to travel over a mile to find another 7-Eleven.

Services

A 7-Eleven offers various services catering to different suburb's requirements. Either by population percentage or life style habits, 7-Eleven in Taiwan provides a wide and ever-changing scope of services depending on the environment and market trends. Therefore, in addition to selling snacks, food, drinks, tobacco, delis, magazines…etc, which are available in any convenient store, a 7-Eleven in Taiwan also provide services such as fax, photo copying, DHL, Bill paying…etc. lots kinds of bills can be paid in a 7-Eleven in Taiwan, for example, the parking fee, fine for traffic violation, cell phone bill, and credit card bill.

Here is a list of services in a 7-Eleven in Taiwan

Convenient Services
• Photo development
• Digital image printing
• Water bills, electricity bill, gas bill, cablevision bill, parking tickets, motor-bike liability insurance, and mobile phone bill.
• Takkyubin
• Facsimile transmission
• Direct marketing shopping service
• Duskin rental service

Retail Service
• International calling cards and telephone cards
• Booklet for College Examination Center
• Booklet for entrance exam to technological college
• MRT and bus fare cards
• Stamps, envelops, and post cards

Others
• Pre-ordered purchases
• Photocopying
• DHL
• Free calls for ringing up radio taxi etc..

Other facts

In fact, 7-Eleven is so convenient that it has become a part of life in Taiwan. Eighty percent of urban household shoppers in Taiwan visit a convenience store each week. 2005 [ACNielsen ShopperTrends] The idea of being able to purchase food items, drinks, and magazines or to send a Takyubin or a DHL 24hrs a day and at any corner of a street makes life easier for this extremely busy and rushed population.

Miscellaneous

1. The highest 7-Eleven on the island is 1743 meters above sea level.