The CBD store could be replicated, the company says. (Source: 3AW)
Your humble convenience store could soon look a whole lot different if a change made by 7-Eleven catches on. The major retail chain has gone completely workerless at a store in Melbourne.
Gone are any staff, the self-serve slurpee machine, the coffee machine and the open shelves. And in their place is simply a row of vending machines in a brightly lit room with cameras and classical music playing.
The dramatic new look was quietly rolled out at the store on the corner of Collins and Spencer Street in the city’s CBD recently, with the company telling Yahoo Finance the experiment is currently a “one-off pilot” while it gauges the response from customers.
It comes as retailers in the state complain of the growing rate of retail crime and abuse faced by frontline staff, which the company said was partly a reason for its dramatic experiment.
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One passerby told Seven the change was “a bit disappointing” this week.
“I used to like getting a coffee there, but I guess it is what it is,” he said.
“If it’s done right, it can’t be too bad. But it can’t take over everything,” another local said.
While vending machine retail stores are a common sight in Japan, many Aussies online were unsure about the execution by 7-Eleven and predicted “it won’t last”.
“Not dystopian at all,” one commented.
“Really is coming to the end times,” another quipped.
Inside the 7-Eleven store in Melbourne with vending machines. (Source: 9News)
In a statement to Yahoo Finance, 7-Eleven said it was assessing the reaction to the store before making decisions about any further rollout.
“The Collins Street location has been temporarily converted into a fully automated format as part of a small-scale trial to explore new convenience experiences for our busy CBD customers, who are increasingly seeking fast, vending-style options,” a spokesperson said.
“This remains a one-off pilot while we test customer response.
“We are continuing to invest in our network, including the opening of new traditional CBD stores in Parkville and Anzac Station, which have created local jobs and will expand access to our full offer. While retail crime is a concern shared by all retailers, this trial was not driven by crime or safety issues alone, it was enabled by a planned renovation window and reflects our broader innovation agenda.”
The plan to bring a Japanese-style experience to Australia has long been in the works and was flagged by company executives last year.
Japanese retail giant 7-Eleven International took control of 7-Eleven Australia in November 2023 in a $1.71 billion buyout. At the time, Chief executive Angus McKay said a Japan-inspired makeover was now on the cards for the small-store shops.
“Japanese stores … are the high mark around the global network. The way they present themselves, the store standards, the way they operate is just seamless and we’ve got a lot to learn from them,” he told a KPMG retail seminar in May, 2024.
The move by 7-Eleven comes as the Victorian government has been urged to fast-track new laws to crackdown on the alarming problem of violence faced by frontline retail workers in the state.
Independent supermarkets say they could even be forced to close stores if theft isn’t brought under control while Bunnings has taken the dramatic step of rolling out new security gates at the entrance and exit of five stores in Victoria due to “escalating retail crime”.
The Victorian state government and Premier Jacinta Allan promised laws to crack down on the assault and abuse of retail workers by the end of this year.
Data shows one-in-three retail crimes across Australia took place in Victoria – 60 per cent more than any other state.
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