TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has gained international attention for turning convenience stores from mere snack shops into an indispensable part of daily life.
The Washington Post reports that convenience stores in Taiwan have become a one-stop shop offering a plethora of services, such as mailing international packages, dry cleaning clothes, downloading tax forms, and buying train tickets. There are also myriad beverages and heat-and-eat meals, with seating areas to consume them.
The newspaper cited a 17-year-old high school student surnamed Huang (黃) as saying she prefers 7-Eleven to Starbucks for being less expensive and crowded. She now opts for a large 7-Eleven near National Taiwan University that features a cafe, bakery, photo booth, printer, ATM, and reading area, making it a self-study spot while she waits for her mother to finish work.
Beyond 7-Eleven, chains like FamilyMart, Hi-Life, and OK Mart are found on nearly every corner, creating a dense convenience ecosystem rarely matched elsewhere. In Taiwan, a country of 23 million people slightly larger than Maryland, there are more than 14,000 convenience stores.
Sociologist Chang Li-hsiang (張立祥), who has written a book on Taiwan’s convenience stores, said that as the Taiwanese economy grew, the number of convenience stores surged. Chang said Taiwan, dubbed the “island of overwork,” ranks among the world’s highest in working hours while leisure time remains scarce.
Children do homework after school while waiting for their parents. Young professionals living alone rely on convenience stores for meals and daily errands.
Retirees gather to drink coffee and chat. Even during typhoons, when other shops close, convenience stores remain open.
The convenience store boom in Taiwan began in 1980 with the opening of the country’s first 7-Eleven. By 2024, nationwide sales surpassed US$13 billion (NT$394.5 billion), with 7-Eleven accounting for more than half.
7-Eleven was founded in Texas in 1927 as a small ice-selling shop, named for its original hours, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Some stores became 24-hour operations in the 1960s.
Taiwan’s first 7-Eleven, run by a local operator, officially ushered in the 24-hour convenience store era. Initially, the stores were unable to break even due in part to high property prices.
In the 1990s, as the local operator focused on localization, profits rose. Despite initial concerns from the US headquarters, 7-Eleven began selling locally sourced fresh foods.
The US parent company worried that tea eggs might be too pungent, but tea eggs quickly became a bestseller. Convenience store numbers soon surpassed 1,000, even expanding to outlying islands.
In 1997, Taiwan’s operator went public, and in 2000 signed a permanent franchise agreement with US 7-Eleven.
In 2006, the iBon kiosk system was introduced, elevating 7-Eleven further. Tasks once scattered across banks, post offices, and government agencies could now be done at corner convenience stores.
Customers can use iBon to book travel, pay utility bills and fines, buy movie tickets, print and scan documents, access land records, check pension information, verify identity, hail taxis, and even search for employment.
Other convenience chains also developed unique features. FamilyMart launched smart, mobile stores, while OK Mart introduced cashless vending machines, turning hundreds of locations into mini-stores.
Some Taiwan 7-Eleven stores even integrate pop culture, becoming tourist attractions. For example, Hello Kitty–themed stores feature pink interiors and Sanrio characters.
Another store highlights the local character Bugcat Capoo, a rotund, blue, feline-like creature with six legs. Yet another highlights Dragon Ball, drawing anime fans for selfies and snacks.
These unique features impress many foreign visitors, who consider Taiwan’s 7-Eleven superior to others. A video by YouTuber Hailey Jane Richards (莫彩曦) comparing 7-Elevens in the US and Taiwan has garnered more than 3.4 million views.
Hailey Richards told the Washington Post that during her youth in the US, 7-Elevens were gas stations used out of necessity, not enjoyment. She added, “Taiwan 7-Eleven changed the way we think about convenience stores entirely. They really are on a whole different level.”
