By Jono Thomson
TAIPEI, (Taiwan News) – The eighth 7-Eleven operating with no permanent staff opened in Keelung on Monday (October 28).
Parent company Uni-president Enterprises Corporation said the staffless store opened at Keelung’s National Ocean University to target “digital natives,” per CNA. The store uses sensors to detect what a customer places in their basket, and goods are paid for via a mobile app upon checkout.
Uni-president said the unstaffed 7-Eleven store is novel because it is able to combine equipment used in staffed stores with self-checkout technology. This has allowed the store to include a wider range of products, the company said.
One unstaffed 7-Eleven has opened each year since 2018, with locations in Taipei, Taichung, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu, Uni-President said. The first staffless store to operate independently opened in 2023.
One staffless 7-Eleven closed in Kaohsiung in April. The company said it is in the process of adjusting its business strategy in that location.
Uni-president said the unstaffed stores are performing well at Taipei’s Shih Hsin University and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. It said both stores receive nearly 1,000 customers per day.
