Residents of Vientiane flock to newly opened 7-Eleven
The first branch of the popular convenience store franchise 7-Eleven has become a big hit in Laos’ capital, prompting operator CP All Plc to proceed with plans to open a second branch next month.
Thailand’s food and consumer product conglomerate recently reported that the first 7-Eleven store in Vientiane, which opened on September 7, has received a warm welcome from locals.
Customers have been flocking to the store all day to snap up the 5,000 items of consumer products and ready-to-eat food on offer, the company said.
Several items have been flying off the shelves almost as soon as they were stocked. Favourite buys include shrimp wonton, Slurpee carbonated slushies, and beverages under All Café brand, it added.
The Vientiane branch of 7-Eleven is open 24 hours, seven days a week, and also offers local products from Laos, which are gaining popularity both locally and among tourists.
CP All is planning to open the second branch in Saysetha town, in the southern province of Attapeu in October.
The company also plans to add 700 new branches in Thailand, increase its total in Cambodia to 100 stores, and expand the coverage of its 7-Eleven Delivery service.
CP All currently operates more than 60 7-Eleven stores in Cambodia. The first opened in August last year.
Laos is a growing market for retail and consumer products, attracting several Thai companies to expand their businesses to the country’s northeastern neighbour. Among them are PTT Plc, which has opened PTT petrol stations and Café Amazon coffee shops, and Big C Retail Corporation, which operates over 60 branches of Mini Big C retail stores in Laos.
