Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC), the operator of 7-Eleven stores in the Philippines, is set to achieve a major expansion milestone as it prepares to open its 5,000th branch in December.
PSC Chairman Victor Paterno said the company is scheduled to reach the landmark on December 3 with the opening of a new store in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. Chih-Hsien Lo, chairman of PSC’s Taiwan-based parent company, President Chain Store Corporation (PCSC), is expected to attend the occasion.
PSC had 4,650 stores nationwide by the end of June, according to its financial report. About 55% of these outlets are company-operated, while the remaining 45% are run by franchisees.
The company currently has more than 300 stores in various stages of development, many of which are expected to begin operations before yearend.
“We’ve only opened around 200 stores [so far], so we have quite a bit to go and there’s a lot of store growth coming,” said Paterno.
PSC is also looking beyond its traditional strongholds in Metro Manila and Luzon, with plans to expand further into underserved areas across the Visayas and Mindanao. Paterno said additional distribution centers will be established in these regions to support the growing store network.
As of June, the Visayas had around 780 7-Eleven branches, representing nearly 17% of the nationwide network, while Mindanao had 614 stores.
Mindanao also recorded stronger same-store sales growth during the first half of the year, improving to 5.1% from 3.1% a year earlier. The Visayas, meanwhile, increased its same-store sales growth from 0.9% to 3%.
PSC plans to add another 600 stores to its network next year as part of its continuing expansion.
The company reported a nearly 4% increase in net income for the first six months of the year, reaching ₱1.84 billion from ₱1.78 billion during the same period last year.
“With the caveat that we’re continuing to monitor the economic situation, we’ve done actually pretty well despite everything,” said Paterno.
To sustain its momentum, PSC is also investing in service enhancements, including the expansion of cashless payment terminals. By the end of June, 4,485 stores—or 96% of its network—had these systems installed, with digital transactions contributing more than 12% of overall sales.
Paterno also said the company will continue developing products designed to appeal to younger consumers, particularly members of Generation Z.
While hard-discount retailers are expanding in the Philippines, Paterno said their impact on 7-Eleven remains limited because the two business models serve different consumer needs. The convenience chain largely focuses on goods intended for immediate consumption, while hard discounters generally sell products intended to be purchased and stored for later household use.