7-Eleven is opening its first store in India on Saturday, Oct. 9, in Mumbai, India’s largest city and the country’s economic powerhouse. Opened by 7-India Convenience Retail, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures, this 7-Eleven store offers residents and tourists its style of convenience, signature food and drinks, as well as products and delicacies especially created to appeal to the local market.
The store is located on the first floor of the Atul Blue Fortuna apartments on Military Road in the vibrant 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. A grand opening for this inaugural store will be held soon. A number of stores are anticipated to open later this year in the Greater Mumbai cluster.
The 7–Eleven brand’s entry into the country will modernize the small-retail environment and bring greater convenience to shoppers. The two-story 1,700-square-foot Mumbai store will have a café.
Mumbai is a city of superlatives and the ideal location for the first Indian store from 7-Eleven. It is India’s financial and commercial hub, home to the Bollywood film industry and one of the top 15 wealthiest cities in the world. Mumbai is also home to Reliance Industries, the largest publicly traded company in India. Reliance Retail Ventures, through its wholly owned subsidiary, 7-India Convenience Retail, holds the master franchise agreement with 7-Eleven to operate stores in Greater Mumbai. Reliance Retail Ventures is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.
“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 Isha Ambani.
The new store carries high-quality products typically found at 7-Eleven stores, including internationally popular products, beverages and snacks, and immediately consumable fresh foods with recipes developed for local tastes will also be part of the initial convenience offering.
7–Eleven will support Reliance Retail Ventures to implement and localize its unique retail business model.
“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,” said 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto. “Our strategic relationship with Reliance Retail will bring 7-Eleven’s brand of convenient products and services to millions of Indian consumers starting in the city of Mumbai.”
Around the globe, 7-Eleven stores’ mission is the same: to give customers what they want, when, where and how they want it. India will be the 18th country or region where 7–Eleven stores operate. Others include the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
The U.S., where 7-Eleven was founded almost 100 years ago, has experienced rapid expansion over the last few years. In May, the retailer acquired Speedway, expanding its U.S. store presence by almost 4,000 stores and bringing its international store count to more than 77,000 locations globally.
