I have heard it said many times before that Taiwan in the most convenient country on the planet. According to the Taipei Times in 2009, there were 9,204 convenience stores operating in Taiwan. This gives Taiwan the highest density of convenience stores anywhere, with one store per 2,500 people.
7-11, Family Mart, Hi-Life, and OK Mart are familiar names in Taiwan’s convenience store business. 7-11 is by far the most popular. It is not uncommon to see two 7-11’s directly across the street from each other or to see three or more stores in a two block radius. No matter where you are in Taiwan, I would be willing to bet that you are within walking distance of a convenience store.
Because of their popularity, convenience stores serve a dual purpose in Taiwan. At any major convenience store, you can buy food and drinks, visit the ATM, and pick up random toiletries. You can also buy concert tickets, pay your electricity bill, buy cell phone credit, pay parking tickets, and ship packages. These stores really do make life here very convenient!
[http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2009/07/10/2003448311]
