Posts by theo@aacs.org.au

We’re proud to present the 24 entries from 10 countries in this year’s ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ competition. These stores represent the very best in innovation, execution, and leadership across convenience retail foodservice, and we’re here to celebrate the teams behind them. If you want to understand just how far our industry has come in foodservice within convenience retail, set aside time over the coming weeks to explore this global showcase. Each entry includes store videos, photos, and written profiles that tell the story of these retailers. Meet the 2026 EntriesAMPOL Foodary, Australia APCO Mt Duneed, Australia Applegreen Dunshaughlin, Ireland Aral Autohof Northheim, Germany Chestnut on the Hutch, USA Circle K Kilcullen, Ireland Corrib Oil Ballina, Ireland Dash In Concord, USA ESSO Onestop, Luxembourg EUROSPAR Glenwell, UK FreshStop at Astron, South Africa Galp Goody, Portugal Key datesNow: Judging is underway. Our expert panel is reviewing and scoring every…

Ampol Limited (ASX: ALD) today announced its subsidiary Ampol Energy Pty Ltd has entered into a share sale agreement to acquire 100% of Fast Cities Australia Pty Ltd (Evie Networks), operator of one of Australia’s leading public electric vehicle (EV) charging networks, for a purchase price of $225 million. The acquisition, which is subject to clearance by the ACCC, is expected to add more than 1,030 EV charging bays to Ampol’s network, creating a combined platform of approximately 1,425 bays nationally, across more than 400 sites. On completion, the combined AmpCharge and Evie network is expected to become one of Australia’s largest public EV charging platforms. The acquisition represents a significant step in expanding Ampol’s public charging network, bringing together an established national footprint of well-located sites, attractive long-term site tenure, grid connectivity, a strong customer base and specialist operating capability. It also comes at a time when electric vehicles…

The network will create value for partners by offering new ways to reach customers in high-intent convenience moments. 7-Eleven Australia has launched Anytime Media @ 7-Eleven, an omnichannel retail media network connecting brands with customers across its national store footprint, My 7-Eleven loyalty program and digital channels.  The launch extends retail media beyond traditional grocery environments into high-frequency convenience, where suppliers can connect with shoppers in impulse-led moments.  With more than 760 stores and 4.6 million weekly transactions, 7-Eleven Australia is the nation’s leading convenience retailer, known for iconic products including Slurpee, coffee and the emerging Foodvenience offer. As a destination for discovery, particularly for younger Australians, 7-Eleven Australia offers brand partners a new platform in the fast-moving, high-intent convenience occasions.   Anytime Media @7-Eleven will help supplier partners:  A new in-store digital screen network rollout has commenced and will expand further in 2027, increasing opportunities for high-impact in-store engagement.  Anthony…

After spending time at the China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning and watching convenience stores proliferate across the city, I’ve been reflecting on where China’s convenience store industry actually stands. The answer—drawn from CCFA’s mid-2026 survey and recent moves by top players—is both sobering and quietly encouraging. Mid-2026 State Report and headline numbers tell a difficult story Recently CCFA’s Mid-2026 survey of 60 companies covering total stores at 127,872 shows, China net new openings in 1H 2026 were just 1,391—a sharp deceleration from 4,093 in H1 2025 and 9,570 in all of 2024. The KPMG-CCFA 2026 report confirms the demand-side pressure: average daily per-store sales fell 3.9% to RMB 4,453 (about US$663), daily customer traffic dropped 8.7%, and industry net margins remain below 3%. CCFA survey data shows 71.7% of companies reported declining foot traffic; 60% saw profits shrink.‌ The old moats are gone. “Proximity” and “time convenience” have been neutralized by…

Inside the 2026 AACS Down Under Study Tour, South East Queensland South East Queensland turned on its best spring weather last week for our AACS Down Under Study Tour, and across two days, 81 delegates worked their way through thirteen convenience stores from the inner north of Brisbane to the southern end of the Gold Coast. The tour ran on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 September, based out of The Alva Hotel in Fortitude Valley. Two coaches ran each day on different routes which allowed both groups time to speak with each of the retailers and explore the stores.  AACS CEO Theo Foukkare commented that “the retail visits showcased some of the latest innovations that are being implemented in Australian convenience retail today. Technology showcased included in store self checkout, various loyalty programs, customer led data segmentation strategies, point of sale operating systems, online ordering platforms & in store retail media networks…