TOKYO - 7-Eleven is expanding its lineup of in-store drinks with the introduction of freshly brewed tea, using dedicated machines to serve tea at prices similar to coffee.
Having pioneered the convenience store café concept in Japan, 7-Eleven is now moving beyond test sales by rolling out freshly brewed tea to more locations. Unlike traditional tea bags, the drinks use carefully selected tea leaves, offering customers a choice of Darjeeling blend, Earl Grey, or Assam blend.
Prepared by steeping tea leaves and extracting the brew over roughly 90 seconds, the tea is described as having a rich aroma and full-bodied flavor.
A hot regular-sized cup is priced from 120 yen including tax—the same range as the store's coffee—with the aim of attracting customers who typically do not drink coffee.
Itoi Kenji, owner of the 7-Eleven Kazo-Kotoyori store, said: "By changing our product offerings, we hope to attract new customers who might say, 'I didn’t know 7-Eleven had something like this.'"
Alongside the tea rollout, the chain is also expanding its "7 Café Bakery" service, which offers freshly made items such as bread and baked goods. The initiative has proven successful in drawing new customer segments.
Hiroko Sakurai, Chief Merchandiser for Next-Generation Product Development at 7-Eleven Japan, said: "We're seeing new purchases especially among young housewives. On average, stores currently testing the tea and bakery offerings in Saitama Prefecture have seen a sales increase of about 3.2%, which is very encouraging."
By the end of February 2026, the tea service will be expanded to 2,000 stores nationwide. Meanwhile, 7 Café Bakery is expected to be rolled out to 12,500 locations across Japan by the end of fiscal 2025.
As the top seller of convenience store coffee in Japan, 7-Eleven is now turning to premium tea as a new driver of revenue growth.
Source: FNN
