Very interesting article on the history. I also first saw these high quality convenience stores in Japan, then after having stayed in Taiwan for a while for a short while thought that the whole worlds 7-11s are like the ones in Taiwan only to be sorely disappointed everywhere I go.
I don't know how the ones Korea are, but for me personally Taiwan seems to be the gold standard of convenience stores. Yes, the average food is a little bit better in Japan, but Taiwan being the Trade capital it used to be has settled with having the best of everywhere.
While in the Japanese ones you get everything Japanese in Taiwan you get the best of everywhere. Award winning chocolate from south America. The best sweet choices from Japan, Germany and elsewhere. The best isotonic drinks from Japan. The best lemonade from the south of Taiwan.
Incidentally, Seven Eleven is originally an American convenience store chain. They got bought out by Itou Youkado, a Japanese supermarket chain, when Seven Eleven went bankrupt.
The history is very interesting here. As noted in the article, Ito Yokado's chairman set up a new company under Toshifumi Suzuki to create the Japanese 7-Eleven.
Southland Corporation, which owned 7-Eleven in America initially refused to even speak with them. Eventually it all worked out and 7-Eleven became a hit in Japan, while the fortunes of the company in America did not fare so well.
In 1991, when Southland faced bankruptcy, Ito Yokado invested $430mn to take over the company and renamed it to 7-Eleven Inc. How the tables turn..
Big Gulps huh? It's always interesting to see just how awesome 7-11s are in other countries and why those improvements aren't brought back to the U.S. ones.
I don't know how the ones Korea are, but for me personally Taiwan seems to be the gold standard of convenience stores. Yes, the average food is a little bit better in Japan, but Taiwan being the Trade capital it used to be has settled with having the best of everywhere.
While in the Japanese ones you get everything Japanese in Taiwan you get the best of everywhere. Award winning chocolate from south America. The best sweet choices from Japan, Germany and elsewhere. The best isotonic drinks from Japan. The best lemonade from the south of Taiwan.