Taiwan has more than 10,000 convenience stores, or one per approximately every 2,000 residents, the highest density in the world, according to industry statistics Feb. 17.
Responding to the demand for constant change and refinement, some of the nation’s corner stores have specialized in selling Kinmen Kaoliang, a type of sorghum liquor, and green oil, menthol containing liquid, accepting payments in yuan, acting as a venue for viewing cherry blossom or as a pit stop for cyclists touring Taiwan. Industry leader 7-Eleven, operated by President Chain Store Corp., boasts close to 5,000 stores and expects to hit that target later this year, while No. 2 FamilyMart has 2,900, followed by Hi-Life and OK Mart chains with 1,296 and 880 shops, respectively.
Already 10 years ago there were those who claimed the market had reached saturation point, but the pace of development has not slowed and convenience stores have become an indispensable feature of everyday life for locals and a vital refreshment point for foreign tourists.
Taiwan’s local marts seem able to do anything, industry sources say, but they must each develop their own niche to survive.
For example, the FamilyMart located opposite Ever Rich Duty Free Shop in Taipei City’s Neihu District takes payments in yuan to satisfy customers from mainland China. The exchange rate is posted above the cash register, just like in a small bank, and the shop provides delivery service all the way to the purchaser’s home on the other side of the strait. Mainland Chinese tourists can buy pineapple cakes and find them on the doorstep when returning home.
The FamilyMart in Renai Township in central Taiwan’s Nantou County, billed as a shop inside the mountain clouds, has an outdoor seating area of more than 1,600 square meters with views of mountainsides full of cherry blossom. During blossom season in February, the aroma of fresh coffee mingles with the fragrance of the flowers.
The island’s high density of convenience stores is also a godsend to cyclists. The Anshuo branch of 7-Eleven, on Freeway No. 9 in Daren Township in Taitung County, southeastern Taiwan, is the first such store from Pingtung County heading west on the route, making it a place of welcome relief to all cyclists who have exhausted themselves on the climb over the mountains.
Stores located by any major tourist draw inevitably do a roaring trade in Taiwan’s special products such as pineapple and sun cakes. The FamilyMart at Sun Moon Lake, one of central Taiwan’s most famous scenic spots, is a favorite for mainland Chinese tourists buying pineapple cakes and Kinmen Kaoliang.
The 7-Eleven at the base of Taipei 101 is another favorite place for mainland Chinese tourists to stock up on pineapple cakes by the boxful. The store keeps 20 boxes on hand at any time, almost making the outlet a specialized purveyor of the delicacy.
Convenience stores have also become a major sales point for green and white flower oil. FamilyMart said that mosquitoes and other insect pests at Sun Moon Lake boosted sales there of the repellent salve, and that its reputation spread by word of mouth among mainland Chinese visitors until almost every tourist bought a bottle.
The nation’s local marts continue to get bigger, with a majority now offering seating. Tainan’s Lianying branch of 7-Eleven, at 3,200 square meters, is not much smaller than a full freeway service area. (SDH)
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