THE DOORS to Bathurst's third 7-Eleven store on Corporation Avenue have finally opened, and 7-Eleven area lead north Jeff Yerbury assured that it was definitely worth the wait.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
According to Mr Yerbury, unforeseen circumstances arose which hindered the opening time, originally slated for late last year.
But, despite a few setbacks, the team were still very excited to welcome the public to the West Bathurst location. And on Thursday, March 21, staff were able to do just that.
The store opened at 6am, and, being run 24-hours a day, seven days a week, it's now never set to close.
The position of the West Bathurst store was a very deliberate choice.
"There's a lot that goes into that [deciding on a location]," Mr Yerbury said.
"There's a lot of research, a lot of work with developers, we look at the communities, we look at the population and different spend patterns, and this side of town was just the next logical expansion point for us."
And, according to Mr Yerbury, this store alone is likely to have an intake of tens of thousands of dollars each week.
"We expect this to do within the order of $40,000 of merchandise sales a week," he said.
And with the latest offerings combining food, fuel, and convenience, Mr Yerbury believes that the store will be well worth the multi-million dollar investment in the area.
Combining the well-known 7-Eleven staples such as Slurpies, Krispy Kremes, and quality coffee, the new store also stocks ready meals, freshly prepared sandwiches, fruits, yogurts, desserts and hot pastries.
The beginning of a new generation of 7-Eleven stores
"This is our latest generation format, where we bring our real food offering to life," Mr Yerbury said.
"So, when you take it from the ground, from the early DA [development application] approvals, through to construction, and the cost to get the tanks into the ground and the canopy, and then there's the retail shell, and the fit-out.
"To put it all together it's multi-million dollars."
Mr Yerbury said the newest food offerings items were already proving quite popular, with a steady stream of customers taking the time to peruse and purchase since the early hours of the morning.
He noticed that they were particularly popular with trades people, and those working in the nearby industrial area.
He said that these customers are essential to creating a well-respected brand in the area.
Happy employees, happy customers
This brand is developed from the focus on employing locally, and ensuring a happy team, and positive working environment.
Employing 30 local team members across each three sites, the new location will be run under the leadership of Vikas Panwar, with a permanent staff of 12.
"We need to bring a great offer to the market, and a team that just smiles and serves our customers. That's what's important," Mr Yerbury said.
"We've got some quite iconic products, and we create what we think is a really fun environment to work within. It's dynamic, there's a lot happening, there's a lot changing every day."
As well as smiles on team members' faces when customers walk in the door, those shopping at 7-Eleven have the added bonus of knowing that they're getting great service at a great price.
This is ensured through the My 7-Eleven App, which offers the Fuel Price Lock feature, allowing customers to lock in a price for seven days, to ensure a maximum saving of up to 25 cents per litre.
"And as a bonus, the app has loyalty rewards, offers, discounts and can be linked with your Velocity Frequent Flyer card to earn points," Mr Yerbury said.
Located on the corner of the Mitchell Highway and Bradwardine Road, the new 7-Eleven store has opened within the same complex as the recently opened McDonald's and Subway, with sister stores in Kelso, and along Stewart Street, Bathurst.
The West Bathurst Red Rooster location is set to open on Friday, March 22.
