After all my travels I’ve finally picked a favorite store. I believe 7-Eleven is the pinnacle of capitalism today. The 7-Eleven symbol can be found in 17 countries across the world totaling in over 55,000 stores! In some cases there are 7-Elevens across the street from each other! When you enter one of these havens you may find everything needed to survive provided to you at a reasonable price. I’ve found clothing, wet weather gear (umbrellas & ponchos), medicine, toiletries, food, drink (both hot and cold), literature (magazines, newspapers, books), and pre-paid cards for phones or games. There are always ATMs if you need cash and basic business functions like printing, copying, and faxing if anyone out there even uses those things anymore. In some countries you can even drop off your dry cleaning or pay your fines and tickets at their locations.
One of the best features of the 7-Eleven franchise is that it is so big they can afford to set up stores in austere locations that would normally go unserved. The most impressive feat I saw was a shipping container with a 7-Eleven sign on a deserted road in Afghanistan. While a lot of people rally against big business, it offers services and opportunities that small business cannot fulfill and because of that we all benefit. Just like all business that don’t benefit from the monopoly of gov’t, they must stay competitive. Many stores in Japan and now even in the US are going “green” with energy-efficient technologies. A great solution to reducing our carbon footprint comes from innovation that these companies can implement. In my opinion 7-Eleven is my favorite store in the world and a perfect example of how Capitalism helps make our lives better.