Seven Eleven

In Australia, you only usually only go to a Seven-Eleven store for one of two reasons.

1. It's past 9pm, the supermarkets are closed and someone is sitting on the toilet waiting for you because you ran out of toilet paper or you desparately need some other essential such as milk or bread.

2. It's past 9pm, you stumble out of a bar after several drinks, all the other fast food restaurants are closed or not within staggering distance and you desparately need some grease in the form of a travellers pie or the risky 7-11 hot dog.

Other than these two examples, most Aussies avoid Seven Eleven stores. Not because they are inconvenient or open at inconvenient times, but generally because you can get the exact same items at half the price and further from the expirey date at the local supermarket.

In Aisa, it seems that Seven Eleven stores have totally the opposite reputation. They have absolutely everything you could need and at normal prices. From bakery goods to Octopus Cards (the Hong Kong equivalent of Brisbane's 'Go Card' that can be used to pay for just about everything, not just public transport) to sim cards to hot coffee to beer! You could pretty much do your weekly shopping at a Seven Eleven.

The other astonishing difference about Seven Eleven in Aisa, is the fact that they are almost literally on every street corner. In some cases, you can see a Seven Eleven store whist standing inside another! If one store doesn't have what you need, just walk a couple of hundred meters to the next one!

I can see the concept that Seven Eleven is trying to bring to Australia, but it is just not working. Lets face it, all that they need to keep on their shelves in Australia is milk, bread, toilet paper, pies, hotdogs and a range of confectionary and ice-creams. Seven Eleven is an emergency store only.