As a commuter, 7-Eleven has saved me on countless occasions. I go there for emergency coffee and snack runs, to buy toiletries, and to connect to their wi-fi (yes, guys, they have wi-fi). The ubiquity of 7-Eleven stores across the country means that I will never want for anything while on the road. After all, the brand pioneered the concept of the convenience store.
But how ubiquitous is 7-Eleven, really? Very, because they recently launched their 2,000th store in the Philippines, cementing their status as everyone’s best friend on the road!
The 2,000th store is located in the LV Locsin Building in 6752 Makati Avenue, Legazpi Village in Makati. It’s pretty hidden (right next to the underpass connecting Greenbelt to the Ayala Triangle), but is a welcome respite for visitors, especially during the summer season. It’s large and beautifully designed with two communal tables, a table for two with a mural in the background, and the best part: a restroom!
I was able to visit the branch on opening day. Check out the photos below:
The 2,000th store joins 7-Eleven’s fleet of 60,000 stores in 17 countries, all serving customers with snacks, drinks, meals, and other services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Who here hasn’t craved for a Slurpee, a siopao, or a hotdog sandwich in the middle of the night?
7-Eleven first opened its doors to Filipinos in 1984, with two branches in Kamias and in BF. It slowly expanded, with 500 stores in 2010, 1,000 stores in 2014, and 2,000 in 2017. The growth is nationwide: it opened its first store in Visayas in 2012 and in Mindanao in 2015. To date, there are 255 7-Eleven stores in Visayas and 107 in Mindanao. This year alone, Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC), the country licensee of 7-Eleven, plans to open 412 more around the country.
Worldwide, 7-Eleven is so widespread that there’s a branch opening every three hours somewhere across the world. And oh, they serve 55 million customers each day.
7-Eleven’s growth is not just in opening more stores. It is also digital. Last year, the store launched its loyalty program called CLiQQ Rewards, a mobile app, and a platform on Facebook Messenger. There’s also CLiQQ wi-fi.
To celebrate its 2,000th store, 7-Eleven launched a new promo where customers can get Justice League, Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman Chibi pouches through CLiQQ Rewards. Every P100 purchase gets one Chipi e-stamp, and a customer can get a pouch when they have 10 Chibi e-stamps. There will also be a Chibi e-raffle where 50 customers can win Justice League Chibi mini-figures, and 10 lucky winners will be flown to Macau to experience the Batman Park Flight in Studio City Macau. Claiming of the pouches is until April 25.
There are also Gulp cups featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, and Harley Quinn.
There was also a free concert at the BGC Ampitheater to thank its loyal customers for supporting them for three decades. Some of the performers were Moonstar88, Gracenote, Imago, Ransom Collective, and Bamboo.