Seven & i Holdings, owner of convenience retail chain 7-Eleven, is experimenting with a new store format in Chiba prefecture, Japan. 

The trial is intended to attract a broader consumer base by offering more than twice the number of products typically found in their outlets.  

The new store, nearly double the size of regular 7-Elevens, will need to exceed the average daily sales of Y700,000 ($4,600) for the pilot project to be considered successful. 

The larger 7-Eleven store format includes a wider selection of food and household goods, targeting demographics such as women, families and younger consumers.  

Seven & i executive officer Keisuke Yamaguchi said: “Our stores are currently not as popular with women, families and younger people. How to balance that is our biggest concern when choosing what items to have in the store.” 

The store's design also introduces a more stylish signboard and a larger café menu with fresh bakery items.  

The trial store in Chiba features 2,000 additional products including groceries, baby items and beauty products. Seven & i unit Ito-Yokado is supporting 7-Eleven in the new trial.  

Ito-Yokado, once the flagship of Seven & i, has been eclipsed by the convenience store segment.  

The trial may signal a strategic move to revitalise the retailer's broader offerings.  

Seven & i plans to monitor the performance of the new store over a six-month period and open a second larger format store within twelve months if it is successful.

In December 2023, the Japanese retail conglomerate announced the acquisition of the 7-Eleven franchise in Australia for A$1.71bn.