7-Eleven International LLC expanded into its 20th country this week with the opening of a new store in Vientiane, Laos, and more expected to follow.
The store is part of a master-franchisee agreement between CP ALL Laos and 7-Eleven International LLC, a joint-venture of 7-Eleven Inc. (SEI) and Seven-Eleven Japan (SEJ).
The store features 7-Eleven's signature retail environment and serves a variety of familiar products and beverages, including bean-to-cup coffee, Slurpee drinks and Big Gulp drinks. Customers can enjoy hamburgers, toasted sandwiches and freshly baked bread. CP ALL Laos is looking into opportunities to offer Laotian meals, the retailer said.
Vientiane is the capital and largest city of Laos experiencing significant economic growth and a surge in tourism following the opening of the Laos-China Railway high-speed train in December 2021.
"With its thriving economy and growing population, Laos offers an excellent environment for 7‑Eleven's first retail venture in the region," said 7-Eleven International Co-CEOs Shin Abe and Ken Wakabayashi. "Our entrance into the country brings Laotian customers a one-stop-shop solution with quality fresh food and convenience needs, via a store format not currently prevalent in the market."
CP ALL Laos Co. is a subsidiary of CP All Public Co. Ltd., which operates more than 14,000 7-Eleven stores in Thailand and Cambodia and is one of the largest 7-Eleven licensees in the world. CP ALL Laos plans to expand stores throughout the country, starting with the Vientiane metropolitan area.
- 7-Eleven is No. 1 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven Inc. operates, franchises or licenses more than 13,000 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States and Canada. In addition, it operates and franchises Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits locations.
Seven-Eleven Japan Co. opened the first 7-Eleven store in Japan in 1974. Currently, the company operates more than 21,000 stores throughout Japan, mainly through franchises.
With offices in Dallas, Texas, and Tokyo, Japan, 7‑Eleven International LLC master franchises and/or licenses more than 46,000 stores in 16 countries and regions. Globally, the 7-Eleven trademark is represented in over 84,000 stores, and the brand will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2027.
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