Open this photo in gallery:
At a 7-Eleven in Japan, shoppers can pay bills, send packages and print documents while also purchasing high-quality food and a wide range of alcoholic beverages. RICHARD A. BROOKS/AFP/Getty Images
Stephen Nagy is Professor of Politics and International Relations at the International Christian University in Japan.
Canadian convenience store chain Alimentación Couche-Tard's proposed acquisition of Japan's Seven & i Holdings Co., which operates more than 85,000 stores worldwide, should be seen as an opportunity to inject some much-needed quality into the North American convenience store ecosystem and bring a fresh perspective to what convenience stores can and should be in local communities.
The sad reality is that Canadian convenience stores simply can't compare in terms of quality, price, and service offered, not to mention customer service.
For example, if you visit a 7-Eleven in Asia, you'll immediately be struck by how locally sourced the goods are. In Japan, you can buy relatively high-quality sushi rolls, bento boxes, and a selection of alcoholic beverages while also paying your bill, sending an express package, and printing your resume. At 7-Eleven, you can also buy socks, underwear, bandages, and batteries.
Similarly, you can do much the same at 7-Elevens in Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, buying Korean barbecue chicken, lychee slurpees, pho, steamed buns stuffed with pork sisig and more.
In contrast to aisles filled with fructose-based colas and energy drinks, chocolate bars and bags of potato chips, 7-Elevens in Asia offer customers fresh, high-quality food and sugar-free drinks at affordable prices.
These are actually convenient: you can pay in a variety of ways, whether that be the Neanderthal credit card still common in North America, cash, or one of the many digital payment systems linked to your smartphone.
Asian customers have very high standards when it comes to 7-Eleven and other convenience stores. They want fresh food and seasonal sweets that are not only delicious but also beautiful to look at. They want a wide range of choices and products to meet their daily needs, and they want a clean, safe and affordable one-stop store they can rely on 365 days a year.
The last time I was back in Calgary, I bought batteries at a Circle K convenience store and then had to go to the store next door to drop off my mail. Neither store had any healthy food options, so I had to go to yet another store to buy fresh food instead of processed or packaged foods. The experience included finding a parking spot every time, traffic jams, and staff who would rather yell than talk.
Canadians deserve to be treated better.
Andrew Willis: Couche-Tard's 7-Eleven deal gives big pension fund chance to become Canadian champion
Japan's love for convenience stores is key to Couche-Tard's expansion into 7-Eleven
Alimentacion Couche-Tard's bid to acquire 7-Eleven Japan is an opportunity to change the landscape of convenience stores in North America by applying 7-Eleven Japan's key performance indicators (KPIs) to the North American convenience store market.
What does that mean for Canadians?
That means working with local businesses to promote local products, consolidating the services of many businesses, like mail, bill payments and other customer needs, and establishing new supply chains to promote local produce like eggs, vegetables and fruit, providing healthier choices for customers.
In British Columbia, your local 7-Eleven might offer seasonal fruits from the Okanagan. In the Prairie provinces, they might offer seasonal items featuring the various berries found throughout the region. In Ontario and Quebec, you can imagine maple syrup and other produce unique to each province.
This means less time wasted going to different stores to get what we need, which is better for our mental health as well as the environment and our communities, bringing together services that meet a range of consumer needs in one store.
Adopting some of Seven-Eleven Japan's KPIs will also introduce innovation and localization by franchisees, allowing them to compete by personalizing their convenience stores based on the needs and networks of their local communities. Canadians in the Atlantic provinces and Yukon want their stores to offer products that meet their local needs, rather than the one-size-fits-all approach to franchising that is common in North America.
If the acquisition goes through, it will be a make-or-break opportunity for Alimentacion Couche-Tard. A judicious combination of the best parts of 7-Eleven Japan and Alimentacion Couche-Tard could spark a convenience store revolution that benefits Canadians and the local economy.
