Puma launches new store concept

Claire Hibbit
June 30, 2016
C&I magazine
Puma Energy Australia has begun the national rollout of its new convenience store concept, 7th Street, opening its first stores in Victoria.
The new Victorian stores, located in Gisborne and Truganina, take 7th Street’s national store count to seven, with three stores also in Queensland and two in Western Australia.
The fuel retailer plans to open up to 20 7th Street stores nationwide by the end of the year.
7th Street stores are the result of customer research undertaken by Puma Energy Australia last year and feature an artisan café, fresh on-the-go food, barista made coffee and digital services such as free Wi-Fi and phone charging stations.

“Consumers were really visiting service station café and convenience stores as a last resort, rather than a first port of call for a decent meal and good service,” Puma Energy Australia general manager, Ray Taylor, said.
“7th Street stores were designed for the customer, which means a store layout that’s easy to navigate with clearly labelled portals for food, coffee or service, and other features like free Wi-Fi, phone recharging, and comfortable seating areas.
“Essentially we’ve taken the traditional service station and given it a makeover into something that more closely resembles the products and service you would expect from your friendly, local café.”
Items on the 7th Street menu include Brubecks salads, freshly made gourmet chicken wraps and Brazilian coffee beans.

“Where we can, we source fresh food from local Australian suppliers, helping to support the local communities,” Mr Taylor said.
Mr Taylor said 7th Street was a new direction for the company as Puma Energy continues to expand nationally and bring more competition to Australia’s fuel industry.