7-Eleven credits its success to focusing on the success of each individual franchisee

Convenience franchise, 7-Eleven, has been awarded the Australian Retailers Association's Visa Australian Retailer of the Year award, presented in Melbourne on 15 November.

7-Eleven CEO, Warren Wilmot said the win is an honour considering the many outstanding retailers operating in Austraila.

"To win Australian Retailer of the Year for the first time is a very big milestone for our business. While we have been recognised before for our skill in franchising, it is testament to the hard work of our team, particularly of our franchisees, that we have today won an award for our efforts as a retailer," he said.

The win caps off a big year for the franchise, Wilmot adds.

"In 2010 we purchased the Mobil Retail Fuels business, adding more than 200 additional stores to our network. I'm pleased to say that in 2011 we successfully converted more than 175 stores from Mobil to 7-Eleven, opening an average of five stores per week. Thanks to the strength of the 7-Eleven brand and offer, and the hard work of our franchisees and corporate team, these stores are performing very strongly once converted, despite the challenging economic conditions other retailers are experiencing."

He said the three key strengths of the 7-Eleven model that contributed to it being named Retailer of the Year are the owners, staff and franchisees; the fact that the business focuses on developing and growing each individual store; and finally, the franchise agreement itself.

"It is different to nearly all other franchise arrangements as it is specifically designed to work for both franchisor and franchisee. The key is that the broader 7-Eleven business makes money only when the franchisees make money, ensuring that everyone in the business is focused on the mutual goal of increasing individual store profitability," Wilmot said.