🇯🇵 Japanese 7-Elevens

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Historically, U.S. convenience stores have made money selling tobacco and gas.

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But, things are changing: Cigarettes have good margins, but total sales are declining since people are smoking less. Gas is already a low-margin business, and U.S. consumption is projected to slow down due to electric vehicle adoption.

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As a result, 7-Eleven is revamping its American business to be more Japanese.

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This includes offering a wider array of fresh foods, like spicy ramen soups, and implementing Japan’s 7-Eleven approach to operations and retailing.

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They call it “Tanpin Kanri,” a retail practice that localizes product assortment to customers' needs. That means when you walk into a store, you might see fresh food products appropriate for a particular location based on the area’s demographic trends, as well as products that make sense nationally.

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Fresh, local, and uniquely yours—welcome to the new 7-Eleven.