MUMBAI—The first 7-Eleven store in India opened in Mumbai over the weekend through a franchise partnership between Reliance Industries and 7-Eleven, and more stores are planned for the country, mainly in greater Mumbai, India’s financial and commercial hub.
"India is the second-largest country in the world and has one of the fastest-growing economies. It's an ideal time for the largest convenience retailer in the world to make our entry into India," 7-Eleven CEO Joe DePinto said in a news release announcing the opening.
The store is located on the first floor of an apartment building in the Marol neighborhood of the Andheri East suburb in Mumbai. Andheri is home to the city's international airport, multiple rail stations and India's Bollywood entertainment hub. The two-story 1,700-square-foot Mumbai store includes a café and carries high-quality products typically found at 7‑Eleven stores, including internationally popular products, beverages, snacks and immediately consumable fresh foods with recipes developed for local tastes.
"At Reliance, we pride ourselves on offering up the best to our customers, and we are proud to bring 7‑Eleven, the globally trusted convenience store, to India. 7‑Eleven is among the most iconic global brands in the convenience retail landscape. The new pathways we build together with 7‑Eleven will offer Indian customers greater convenience and choices within their own neighborhoods," said Director of Reliance Ventures Limited Isha Ambani.
Originally, 7-Eleven’s parent group, Seven & i Holdings, planned to open 7-Elevens in India through a franchise agreement with Future Group, but the agreement ended last week without any stores opening due in part to Future’s low earnings. Seven & i’s partnership with Reliance was announced late last week.
In September, the first 7-Eleven store opened in Cambodia in an office building in Phnom Penh, the capital city of the Southeast Asian country, the first of several c-stores CP ALL Cambodia Co. Ltd. plans to open this year.
Over the summer, Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. was awarded the winner of the 2021 NACS Asian Convenience Retail Sustainability Award for its “Green Challenge 2050” initiative. Launched in May 2019, the environmental declaration establishes goals for 2030 and 2050 related to CO2 emissions reduction, plastics countermeasures, food loss and waste/organic waste recycling countermeasures and sustainable procurement.