Wagga’s first 7-Eleven is set to open its doors in May according to the developer and more stores could open up in the near future. Photo: Stevens Group.
The director of property developer Stevens Group has floated the possibility of Wagga Wagga having up to three 7-Eleven service stations.
The city is set to welcome its first 7-Eleven in mid-May, with construction of the store expected to finish in April.
Stevens Group development director Jason Cupuano said Wagga could expect more stores in the near future.
“Wagga is a two or three-store town,” he said.
“7-Eleven has been expanding its regional footprint in the country and aiming to double its Australian network.
“There are just a bit over 700 stores at the moment in the country, and they’re looking to double that. They’ve identified that spreading to regional Australia is a way of doing that.
“There’s a good shop base in Wagga, and it’s a market that big companies are really hoping to spend some money on.”
Mr Cupuano said the store at 29 Pearson Street was on track for a mid-May opening, with the final touches being added to the development over the next two months.
“The works on the site itself are on track for completion at around mid to late April,” he said.
“Once all those works are done, it will be a month of filling up tanks, putting up signage, stacking shelves and hiring staff.
“It’s looking very, very likely that mid-May will be the point where we open the doors.”
The Stevens Group has opened two other service stations in and around Wagga, including the BP at Gumly Gumly and the Mobil in East Wagga.
Mr Cupuano said the shift to 7-Eleven came in part due to branding and the work they had done to build a reputation outside of just selling petrol.
“It’s not just about selling petrol at service stations anymore. Petrol isn’t going to be around forever,” he said.
“That’s something 7-Eleven has really understood. They have continued to evolve their retail offerings. Everyone knows that they sell Krispy Kremes and Slurpees, but they also have those necessities like bread and milk, which are very important.
“Their service station segments are changing dramatically in that direction.
“They’re going to expand that food range and food production to become that retail position, not just selling petrol anymore.”
