Taiwan had 13,706 convenience stores — one per 1,703 people — as of the end of last year, Ministry of Economic Affairs data showed.
Based on the country’s population of 23.34 million, Taiwan’s store density exceeded that of Japan (one per 2,220 people), but was lower than South Korea’s (one per 897 people), the data released over the weekend showed.
The largest convenience store chain in Taiwan is 7-Eleven, with 6,859 outlets, ahead of FamilyMart with 4,234 stores at the end of last year.
Photo: Taipei Times
Backed by a 3.4 percent increase in the number of outlets, Taiwan’s convenience store operators generated record revenues of NT$412.6 billion (US$13.03 billion) last year, the ministry said.
An 8 percent annual rise in total sales marked the 14th consecutive year of year-on-year growth, with each outlet generating an average of NT$30.1 million, up from NT$28.83 million a year earlier, it said.
Between 2020 and last year, sales at convenience stores in Taiwan increased an average 5.6 percent.
As outlets recorded an average annual increase of 4.1 percent from 2016 to 2019, convenience stores appear to have bounced back in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era, the ministry said.
The rebound has been driven in part by a push to diversify their products, services and payment offerings, such as launching cross-branded products with prestigious brands and famous restaurants, and providing more healthy food and drink options, it said.
Alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages accounted for about 60 percent of stores’ revenue last year, down 6.5 percentage points from a year earlier, it said.
Other food items made up 31.9 percent of the sales, up 6.5 percentage points from a year earlier.
Convenience stores usually see peak season effects in January during a buying spree ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, while hot weather and summer vacations in July and August are expected to create new business opportunities, the ministry said.
Taiwan’s largely 24-hour convenience stores have become an integral part of urban life in the past few years.
Taipei’s Linsen N Road has the highest store density for a single street in the region, with one every 100m, local media reports said.
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address
RSS