‘Konbini‘ ( convenience store) culture has really taken off in Malaysia in the last couple of years – touting not just convenience, but a lifestyle.

Family Mart has its popular oden counter (in Japan, it’s only available in summer, but you can get it all year round in Malaysia), ice blended drinks straight from the fridge, and soft serve ice cream. Meanwhile, Korean franchise CU and local brand Mix.com.my carry a wide variety of imported snacks, with unique products like self-heating hotpot meals.

But 7-Eleven?

Despite being one of the OG konbinis in Malaysia, the brand has been slow in the uptake when it comes to attracting younger clientele. Most of their stores look dull and uninspiring, with generic products you can get at any supermarket or local kedai runcit. The only thing they have that other brands don’t is their Slurpee machine – and that doesn’t even work 9 times out of 10 lol. Which is sad, because I’ve been to 7-Elevens in Thailand, and they. are. awesome.

Someone in the Malaysian management must have thought the same, because they leveled up with a 7-Eleven flagship store in Bandar Puteri Puchong; also the brand’s largest in Malaysia. Spanning two storeys, it even has a cafe and a bookstore within. About time you upgraded, 7-E! And judging by the endless crowds here, it seems like they’ve finally figured out what makes their customers tick.

The ground floor is where they have the usual konbini stuff, but there’s a much larger variety of products available than the usual 7-E. Aside from snacks, ice cream, and beverages, they also sell frozen goods tgat you can cook at home such as fried chicken patties, nuggets, and the like. There’s also a counter with ready-to-eat meals including rice, pasta, onigiri, and sandwiches that you can request to be heated up.

There’s a cabinet selling 7-E merch – but unless you’re a hardcore 7-E fan, nobody in their right mind would pay RM99 for a tumbler lol.

Snacks aren’t the only thing at the store – toy enthusiasts can also find a nice collection of FunkoPop figurines.

Time to head upstairs! The first floor houses a cafe and mini bookstore, in collaboration with popular green tea cafe Niko Neko Matcha, and local bookstore chain Book Xcess, respectively. The space is beautifully designed – spacious, clean, and minimalist; with an island counter in the middle where baristas whip up drinks.

You can browse while you’re waiting for your orders.

There’s not a big selection, but it was enough to tempt me to get a couple of books (to join the rest of the unread pile at home, lol).

All in all, I enjoyed my trip to the 7-Eleven experience store – this is what konbinis should be about! According to this article by Marketing Interactive, it seems like the brand is planning to have more of these concept stores soon; so here’s to 7-E no longer being bland, boring, and blah!

7-ELEVEN FLAGSHIP STORE PUCHONG

No. 22A, Jalan Puteri 1/2, Bandar Puteri, 47100, Puchong, Selangor.

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