DFI Retail Group Tests Experiential 7-Eleven Formats Across Hong Kong

DFI Retail Group rolled out two distinct format concepts across its 7-Eleven network in Hong Kong, targeting airport transit traffic and young mall shoppers.

The deployment includes a compact food-first site under 100 square metres at Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 2 and an entertainment-focused store at Kai Tak Retail Mall 3. Both formats shift floor space away from traditional packaged goods to generate higher footfall and basket values.

Hot Food and Collectibles at Kai Tak

At the airport location, DFI deployed its Hong Kong Taste cafe concept. The layout combines a fresh local hot-food counter, chilled ready-to-eat meals, self-checkout kiosks, and coffee counters within a compact sub-100-square-metre unit designed to compete directly with quick-service restaurants.

The Kai Tak store focuses entirely on youth merchandise and interactive displays. Shoppers find collectible card vending machines alongside a dedicated K-pop merchandise section requiring staff assistance for access, concert light sticks, Tamagotchi devices, and miniature double-decker bus models. The branch also stocks exclusive collaboration apparel, including Gundam socks and 45th-anniversary branded merchandise, alongside an interactive mechanical keyboard sound wall.

Yoep Man leads the format trials as chief executive officer of 7-Eleven for South China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore at DFI Retail Group.

Asian Convenience Chains Pivot to Experience

Convenience operators across North and Southeast Asia are redesigning store footprints to defend operating margins against rising rents and saturated packaged-goods categories. Regional competitors in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea have pursued similar split strategies, turning transit units into fast hot-food hubs while transforming suburban mall branches into lifestyle destinations with licensed character goods. DFI’s two concepts test how far a traditional convenience banner can push into quick-service dining and collectible retail within dense commercial districts.

DFI Retail Group plans to present operational insights and format findings from the Hong Kong pilot during the NACS retail conference taking place from October 6 to October 9.