Taiwan’s convenience stores increasingly rely on migrant workers to combat labor shortages. 7-Eleven has established training programs for foreign students and new immigrants. The chain now operates 14 demonstration stores in areas with large foreign populations. Over 1,000 foreign students and spouses have joined 7-Eleven in recent years. The company uses AI translation systems and multilingual posters to reduce language barriers.
FamilyMart has also recruited migrant workers since 2022. Foreign employees account for about 10 percent of staffing at directly operated stores. FamilyMart provides onboarding training and Mandarin-learning resources. In one case, an Indonesian Muslim employee requested not to handle pork products due to religious beliefs.
PX Mart employs migrant workers mainly through university-industry cooperation programs. Foreign nationals make up over 95 percent of employees in such programs. About 9.6 percent of part-time student workers are foreign nationals. PX Mart uses a new employee passport mentorship system with at least two weeks of hands-on training.
A declining birthrate and aging population have shrunk Taiwan’s domestic labor pool. Therefore convenience store chains turn to foreign students and new immigrants to keep stores staffed. These migrant workers improve customer relations in areas with large foreign populations. Sales have also improved after hiring them. The companies plan to expand recruitment through referrals. This trend may spread to other retail sectors as labor shortages persist.
