No matter where you are, 7-Eleven is the convenience store chain that is ready to cater to your needs, living up to its corporate philosophy: Through happy employees, we desire to see smiles from customers.

In this issues’ Interview, Vichien Chuengviroj, Senior Vice President of CP All Public Company Limited, the operator of 7-Eleven, shares with us the vision and ideas behind the management of the quick meal business as well as tips that have earned the chain the trust from its customers throughout the past 31 years.

“7-Eleven” through the Eye of an Executive

7-Eleven is part of Thailand’s society. Thailand has over 10,000 stores, making it a country with the second largest number of 7-Eleven stores in the world. A key factor that has enabled such an extensive reach is the acceptance of our customers, which also indicates that the business will continue to see growth.

Business Strategies that Win 7-Eleven “Acceptance”

Our principle is known as SAVE QC. S stands for Service: our service must impress the customers and make them want to come back. A is for Assortment: our selection of products must meet the customers’ needs. V is Value: our products must offer value for money. E stands for Environment: our environment both in and out of the store must be hygienic, brightly-lit, and safe. Q is Quality: The quality of our products must meet relevant standards. C is Cleanliness: The production source of our food must be traceable to ensure the cleanliness.

Secrets to Success Amid the Fierce Competition of Modern Trade

At present, superstores, department stores, and supermarkets can compete with 7-Eleven, and vice versa. As the boundaries between different modern trade formats become blurred, any company that can create a better customer experience will gain the upper hand.

SAVE QC is our strategy for creating a unique customer experience. Our customers visit 7-Eleven because they can feel that we are different from our competitors. Our service and the experience we offer impress them and inspire them to keep coming back. Another feature that sets us apart is our convenient locations. You can find a 7-Eleven almost anywhere without having to walk or drive too far. We’re also open 24 hours a day and offer convenience goods, which are what they are looking for and can buy immediately. These are reasons by tens of millions of our customers have trusted us for the past 31 years.

The Back Office Quality Matters Even More than the Storefront.

If you want to know if the cleaning staff are efficient, you need to look at the dirtiest place like restrooms. If they are clean, then you can tell that they are efficient. Along the same vein, no matter how excellent the store is running, the back office must be even better because it is the source of the quality. We regularly send quality and development research teams and service quality inspection teams to examine every little detail to sure that the entire process meets the standards at all times.

As Convenient Stores Become Pantries for Customers, Hygiene is Paramount.

We view 7-Eleven as the pantry of the community where customers can swing by anytime. Therefore, we pay extra attention to cleanliness throughout. We control the storage temperature throughout the entire process from the production source to the distribution center to ensure the hygiene and safety of our food.

Meticulous Attention Right Down to Every Drop of Water

7-Eleven is visited by 12 million customers each day. We cannot allow them to be exposed to any risks of contaminated food, and it is our mission to eliminate this risk right from the beginning.

Currently, our water tanks are made of polymer material. Our requirements are durability, weather-resistance, UV-resistance, and light weight. To meet our hygiene requirements, we need to make sure that the water in these tanks is free from heavy metals and germs.

SCG’s elixir™ Polymer for Water Tank is the Answer.

We recognize that SCG is well trusted by Thai people, and we believe in its research and development system. Our R&D has also observed the production of water tank made of elixir™ material, trusted as a safe, durable, heavy metal-free polymer that does not discolor and meets food contact safety standards. Therefore, we are certain that the material will be safe for our consumers.

Our stores have all switched to polymer plastic tanks. In each 7-Eleven, there are two water tanks, one to receive and pre-filter tap water, which is pumped into another one, where the water goes through an ultra-fine filter to ensure its cleanliness and safety. elixir™ helps make sure that every drop of water for our customers remains clean. We are thoroughly impressed.

elixir™ is an innovative high-quality polymer for water tanks. The material has been certified by world-class organizations, such as U.S. FDA, SAI Global Australia, and TISI, for its quality and safety.

The material is free of heavy metals, including lead, mercury and arsenic.* Its color does not dissolve into the water. In addition, the opacity of the polymer helps prevent algae growth, which may encourage bacteria growth. The material also contains UV stabilizers, giving it resistance to sunlight and enabling it to be placed outdoors without becoming brittle.

elixir™ M10SST1P, M10GYN7P, M90MST1P grades have been tested to be lead- and mercury-free according to the European Directive 94/62/EC and arsenic-free under the TIS 656:2556 standard by the SGS Institute.

For more information of elixir™ please visit www.scgchemicals.com/elixir