Inside the rise of EzyMart: How a Taekwondo-loving migrant from the Middle East created a chain of 450 convenience stores across Australia – but not everyone loves the prices

A supermarket that suddenly appeared in Australia just over 20 years ago is now on its way to becoming bigger than 7-Eleven – despite outrage over the high prices of some of its products.

EzyMart’s first store opened in Bondi Beach in 2001. The chain now operates 450 stores in New South Wales, Queensland, the ACT, Victoria and South Australia.

The man behind the company is founder and CEO Maher Magableh, who migrated to Australia from a small village in Jordan in his early twenties.

His father had encouraged him to take the step, as his brothers and cousins ​​were already studying in Australia.

Mr Magableh, who had already represented Jordan at the Olympic Games in taekwondo, then embarked on a postgraduate degree in business management and public relations.

The company’s journey began when Mr Magableh purchased a milk bar in Bondi that would later become his first EzyMart.

His key to success was stocking items that many other convenient stores didn’t have, such as popular snacks from abroad like Dr Pepper, Takis chips and Reese’s chocolate.

His second store came in 2006 when Mr Magableh heard of a closure of 7-Eleven in Sydney’s Kings Cross.

He opened five more stores around Sydney that year and by 2012 the company had expanded the highway.

“It was difficult and different for me, I had to study and work and teach taekwondo at the same time,” he told The Ethnic Business Awards after becoming a 2021 finalist in the medium to large business category.

Mr Magableh said the Bondi milk bar was extremely run down when he took it over.

‘It was very old, the machines, refrigerators, racks – it was all old. When we took over, we had to clean it for 36 hours,” he says.

He attributed his success to the range of items available at EzyMarts.

“We always have something new in the stores, it’s different from other convenience stores and supermarkets,” he said.

‘About every five years, turnover doubles. I wish the day had more than 24 hours because there are just too many things to do in life.”

Mr. Magableh also spends his time as a certified taekwondo referee and has judged in three separate Olympic Games.

EzyMart claims its success has now made it Australia’s largest supermarket chain.

But many customers have expressed outrage over the cost of basic items.

There are often no price tags on the products, so customers only know how much they have to hand in at the checkout.

‘The prices there are absolutely insane. Why do we make the absurd costs possible at EzyMart?’ one person shared on Reddit last year.

‘What outrage! It’s ridiculous that we have absolutely no alternatives!’ said another.

A 12-ounce can of soda can cost up to $4.50, while a pack of chips costs $7.

Prices can vary at different EzyMarts, but one person claimed he spent $12 on just two bags of chips.

Controversially, EzyMarts also sells illegal vapes.

In Australia it is illegal to purchase or possess e-cigarettes without a prescription from a registered medical practitioner.

Although they are not on the shelves of local stores, they can be easily purchased upon request.

Many customers are also surprised at how many EzyMarts there are, and so close, with many only hundreds of meters away from the next one.

Meg Elkins, a behavioral and applied economist at RMIT University in Melbourne, said the success of the franchise was down to the fact that for many the high prices did not matter as they were looking for the most convenient option.

“EzyMarts is always on your mind, if you need something quickly it’s an easy option,” she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘If people are looking for convenience, price is not the most important thing. Life is busy and hectic, we want something that’s easy.’

She said while supermarkets such as Woolworths and Coles stock the same items at much lower prices, the proximity to EzyMarts, especially in the CBDs, was enough to attract buyers.

“We’d like to reduce the effort in our lives, so we take Uber Eats,” Ms. Elkins said.

“I think we’ve been conditioned to take the easy option and they’ve taken advantage of that, and I think we’ve been conditioned by the pandemic to take shortcuts.”

The expert also said EzyMart was attractive to some consumers because it meant they didn’t have to queue at the supermarkets.

It comes amid a battle for its rival 7-Eleven, with the entire company going up for sale in May this year.

Last week, the two Australian billionaire families that own the country’s 7-Eleven stores sold the company to its Japanese parent company.

The Withers and Barlow families, who are related, have sold the 752 Australia 7-Elevens to 7-Eleven International LLC, 7IN, for $1.7 billion.

In a statement, Russell Withers, former chairman of 7-Eleven Australia, said: “The Withers and Barlow families have had a proud association with the 7-Eleven brand since we brought it to Australia in 1977.

‘From a single store in suburban Melbourne, 7-Eleven has grown to a network of more than 750 stores across Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland and Western Australia, processing 250 million transactions annually and employing more than 9,000 people operate all over the world. corporate and franchise network.

“This is the right time for our families to transition the business to new owners to continue building and developing this wonderful brand.”

In less than 50 years, 7-Eleven has managed to capture 32 percent of the Australian supermarket market.

However, there are currently no 7-Eleven stores in Tasmania, the Northern Territory or South Australia.

The branch’s new owner, 7IN, plans to open another 35 stores next year.