In February, Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. plans to increase the number of 7-Eleven stores there from 763 to 1,000 by 2030 — roughly one new store per week. International convenience store brands are reassessing the potential of Australia’s convenience retail market: it is no longer just an ancillary business tied to petrol stations, but a retail category open to redefinition.
The data support this shift. According to IBISWorld, Australia’s convenience store sector was worth about A$6.1 billion in 2025. At the same time, retail remains the country’s second-largest employer, with total employment continuing to grow over the past year. The market is still sizable, while consumer behaviour has become more cautious and shifted toward more frequent, immediate purchases, giving convenience stores — with their closer-to-home locations, faster purchase decisions and smaller basket sizes — the benefit of smaller, more frequent purchases.
In parallel, Australia’s domestic market is also evolving toward a more mature and higher-frequency convenience store format. In 2025, Viva Energy continued to roll out OTR beyond South Australia into a broader national network, and in its half-year results stated it plans to add at least 40 new OTR stores by the end of 2025, while building the capacity to open 20 to 25 new stores per quarter in the future. OTR is not a traditional “petrol station convenience store” in the usual sense, but a convenience retail model that places greater emphasis on ready-to-eat food, foodservice combinations and around-the-clock consumption occasions.
Capital consolidation also accelerated in 2025. In August, Reuters reported that Ampol was moving forward with its acquisition of the EG Australia network, covering around 500 fuel-and-convenience sites, with the deal expected to be completed in 2026 pending regulatory approval.