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7-Eleven Australia

OVERALL

Owned
AUS
Rating
Criticisms

Convenience store operators

Privately owned by the Withers/Barlow family. This company develops and franchises 7-Eleven stores in Australia under license from 7-Eleven Inc. of Dallas, Texas. The first Australian 7-Eleven store open in 1977, today there are 700 stores around Australia. Acquired Mobil's entire Australian network of 295 filling stations in 2010.

Company Ownership

7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd   AUS     website   email      
  R G Withers Holdings Pty Ltd   
   owns 100% of 7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd  
AUS     website         

Holding company

This family holding company owns 7-Eleven Australia, and bought the exclusive license for Starbucks in Australia in 2014. Owned by Russ Withers and the children of his late sister, Bev Barlow.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd
Environment 3/5 for packaging performance
This company received a packaging performance level of 3 (Advanced) in its 2022 APCO Annual Report. Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. Each year, APCO Members are required to submit an APCO Annual Report and Action Plan, which includes an overall performance level from 1 (Getting Started) to 5 (Beyond Best Practice).
Source: APCO (2022)
Environment Plastic pollution
In 2018 volunteers collected and catalogued more than 187,000 pieces of trash from beach cleanups around the world to find out which corporations are contributing the most to the global plastic pollution problem. This company ranked among the top 10 plastic polluters in the world, even though they only operate within Australia.
Source: #breakfreefromplastic (2018)
Social Worker exploitation
A 2015 investigation by Fairfax Media & Four Corners revealed that this company is ruthlessly rorting wages of its workers. Many workers are paid as little as $10 per hour, and up to two-thirds of its stores are ripping off their workers. The range of apparently illegal activity by franchisees extends beyond wage fraud and includes blackmail and withholding passports and drivers licences of staff.
Source: Fairfax (2015)
Business Ethics Breaching workplace laws
In June 2014 the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) commenced an Inquiry into allegations that significant underpayment of wages and falsification of employment records were occurring across much of this company's network. The report released in April 2016 found concerning levels of non-compliance with the Fair Work Act 2009 and Fair Work Regulations 2009, including instances of deliberate manipulation of records to disguise underpayment of wages. The Inquiry found 7-Eleven’s approach to workplace matters, while ostensibly promoting compliance, did not adequately detect or address deliberate non-compliance and as a consequence compounded it.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (2016)
Business Ethics Class action settlement
In July 2021 this company agreed to pay $98 million to settle a franchisee class action following mediation. Current and former franchisees alleged misleading and deceptive conduct, unconscionable conduct and contract breaches.
Source: news article (2021)
Business Ethics Misleading a franchisee
In 2022 this company was ordered to pay $595,000 to a franchisee after the Victoria Supreme Court found the franchisor had made misleading statements about the term of a franchise agreement. The retailer was found to have breached the Australian Consumer Law in its pre-purchase dealings with Yong Li and Zhe Wang who bought the 7-Eleven Heathmont store in 2015. The couple believed the franchise agreement was for 10 years because of information in a number of documents provided by 7-Eleven; in fact the agreement was for a six-year lease with the option for the franchisor to extend the agreement to 10 years.
Source: Inside Retail (2022)
Environment Fined for pollution
In June 2017 this company was fined more than $7000 by Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) for failing to remove hydrocarbons from groundwater beneath a Newport premises in a timely manner.
Source: EPA (2017)
Social Breaching advertising codes
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2012 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about a print ad by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ads were subsequently discontinued or modified.
Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2012)
Social Worker repayments
In 2017 about 3,600 7-Eleven workers were paid out $150 million since revelations of under-payments and poor record-keeping.
Source: AFR (2017)
Business Ethics Fuel supplied by Mobil
After 8 years of being supplied by Shell, 7-Eleven Stores entered into sole supply agreement with Mobil Oil Australia from January 1, 2012.
Source: company website (2011)
R G Withers Holdings Pty Ltd
No assessment data currently available for R G Withers Holdings Pty Ltd

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Private company
Revenue 2.2 billion AUD (2013)
Employees 420 (2018)

Contact Details

Address 357 Ferntree Gully Rad, Mount Waverley, VIC, 3150, Australia
Phone 03 9541 0711
Website www.7eleven.com.au

Products / Brands

7-Eleven Australia
7-Eleven Fuel & Convenience Stores


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