New retail formats have been on the rise in Thailand since the late 1990s. Of these
new formats, convenience stores are one of the most remarkable formats in terms of growth
rate. As the lifestyle of people in Thailand is changing, convenience-oriented retail stores are
becoming more popular, especially among urban residents. Thus, convenience stores appear to
have drastically changed shopping scenes in Thailand. However, the convenience store format
is not always operated in the same way in every country. The extent and depth of a new
retail format’s impact on the whole distribution system in each country should be expected
to differ among countries. These differences come not only from the company’s management
strategies but also the country’s particular circumstances; i.e., there are contextual differences.
To consider such a point, this study adopts a comparative business history approach. First, it
considers how the convenience store format has adapted itself to Thailand’s particular market
circumstances, using 7-Eleven as the case study. Thereafter, by comparing with the experience
of convenience stores in Japan, this study considers to what degree convenience stores in
Thailand have impacted the country’s entire distribution system. As a result, first, this study
argues that 7-Eleven in Thailand has adapted itself to the particular market conditions. As
for the latter question, i.e., to what degree have convenience stores in Thailand impacted the
country’s entire distribution system, it is concluded that compared with the experience of
7-Eleven in Japan, 7-Eleven in Thailand has thus far had a limited impact on the retail and
distribution system.