Excitement is building over the long-awaited arrival of the 7-Eleven franchise in Vietnam.
The American convenience store chain is now quietly seeking a handful of employees through its local operator, Seven System Vietnam, reports VietnamNet. So far, three positions have been advertised online, including a quality assurance manager, a fresh food associate and a marketing associate.
While the opening of a 7-Eleven is nothing to rave about – the company unveils a new store somewhere in the world roughly every two hours – this would be the company’s first foray into Vietnam’s fiercely competitive convenience store market.
7-Eleven’s Vietnam deal has been in the works since 2015, however little news has emerged about an actual opening date until recently. The exact debut of the franchise is not yet confirmed, however Saigoneers can expect to see 7-Eleven in their city sometime between April 2017 and April 2018, according to convenience story industry publication CSP Daily News.
If all goes to plan, this would make Vietnam the 18th country in the world to welcome the American brand, which began in 1927 and has since grown to become a major global franchise. 7-Eleven boasts over 60,000 locations worldwide, including more than 18,700 stores in Japan alone, according to Zing.
The Vietnam branch of 7-Eleven is a project of 7-Eleven Japan subsidiary Seven System Vietnam. Last year, the firm announced its plan to open 1,000 stores in Vietnam over the next decade. Regional 7-Eleven countries include Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.
But while Zing has dubbed the franchise the “world’s most successful convenience store”, competition in Vietnam won’t necessarily be easy. Already, the country is swarming with convenience stores, from Vinmart and Circle K to Family Mart, B’s Mart, Shop & Go and Mini Stop.
Then again, given 7-Eleven’s secret weapon – the Slurpee – we’re feeling pretty confident they’ll do alright in the southern hub.
[Photo via Alegis]
