7-Eleven opens first shop without any staff in Melbourne
A Melbourne store has ditched humans in a first-of-its-kind trial that could pave the way for how Aussies buy food and drinks on the go.
A Melbourne 7-Eleven is making waves for the odd way it is combating local retail crime.
The new-look Collins Street store in the heart of the CBD has recently opened, but it is missing one feature: staff.
After swapping cashiers for vending machines, the 7-Eleven store has become the first automated retail kiosk only operation in Melbourne.
The store sells drinks and snacks in a series of card-operated machines, allowing for customers to pop in at their convenience, and pick up their favourite goodies without so much of a “hello” or a “thank you”.
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A 7-Eleven Australia spokesperson told news.com.au that the shift was made in order to cater to its busy CBD customers, who want a quick and easy experience.
“At 7-Eleven, our ambition is for every Australian to say, ‘7-Eleven is my convenient neighbourhood store’, which means offering customers more choice in how and when they shop with us,” they said.
“The Collins Street location has been temporarily converted into a fully automated format as part of a small-scale trial to explore new convenience experiences for our busy CBD customers, who are increasingly seeking fast, vending-style options.”
The change comes as bosses from a number of major retail groups have all spoken out about the high levels of crime in Victoria particularly, call on the government to intervene.
According to the National Retail Association, Victoria remains the national hot spot for retail crime, accounting for 35 per cent of total incidents. Victoria Police recorded 82,152 incidents in 2024.
However, the 7-Eleven spokesperson confirmed that while this was a consideration, crime wasn’t the only factor behind the change.
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“While retail crime is a concern shared by all retailers, this trial was not driven by crime or safety issues alone; it was enabled by a planned renovation window and reflects our broader innovation agenda,” the spokesperson confirmed to news.com.au.
While it is the first time we’ve seen a store like this in Australia, these workerless, vending machine-centric stores aren’t entirely new.
They’ve become a viral phenomenon in countries like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, as well as in the United States.
As far as Aussie customers are concerned, though, they aren’t quite sold on the idea just yet.
“I’d say it’s a waste of space, and I doubt it would prevent crime, what’s to stop people from vandalising the machines?” said one social media user.
“Yeah that’s getting trashed within a week,” another agreed.
Many were more concerned about the specific offerings at the store, with some mentioning the lack of slushie machines, and others the inability to order multiple things in one transaction.
“If you could get multiple items in one transaction, fair enough, but you get slugged a transaction fee [for] each item. No, it will close soon enough,” one commenter suggested.
“I only go to 7-Eleven for the slushies, that’s so sad,” said another.
“It’s not a 7-Eleven unless it has a Slurpee machine,” a third agreed.
The chain assured news.com.au that this doesn’t mean that the days of the 7-Eleven slushie are over, having just recently opened a slew of new, traditional stores across Melbourne, where fans of the treat can go and get slushies every day of the week.
“7-Eleven has more than 20 traditional stores across the Melbourne CBD that continue to offer our full in-store range and services, including coffee, Slurpee, convenient meals, hot pastries, sandwiches, sushi and sweet treats,” they said.
“We are continuing to invest in our network, including the opening of new traditional CBD stores in Parkville and Anzac Station, which have created local jobs and will expand access to our full offer.”
However, they also didn’t rule out the possibility of more workerless stores opening, meaning customers will have to vote with their wallets.
“This remains a one-off pilot while we test customer response,” the spokesperson said.
“Our focus remains on meeting customer needs, whether through new digital experiences, traditional store formats, or future innovations that make everyday convenience even easier.”
Originally published as 7-Eleven opens first shop without any staff in Melbourne
