OK Mart

OK Mart is a Taiwanese convenience store chain established in 1988. As of 2023, the company has 748 stores across Taiwan. OK Mart is known for its strong selection of hot food items, including egg tarts, pearl meatballs, sesame balls, and tea eggs.^[1] Additionally, its partnership with Shopee has made logistics one of its key advantages. As for store locations, OK Mart often chooses more remote areas, allowing for lower costs and cheaper rent.^[2]

OK Mart

Trade name	OK Mart
Company type	Joint-stock company
Industry	Grocery stores, convenience stores, retail
Founded	12 May 1988; 37 years ago (1988-05-12) in Taipei
Headquarters	No.97, Songde Road, B1 Floor, Xinyi District, Taipei , Taiwan
Number of locations	748 (2023)
Area served	Taiwan
Website	www.okmart.com.tw

History

OK Mart was originally established in September 1988 as Zhongli Convenience Store Co., Ltd., and was a joint venture between Taiwan’s Feng Chia Group and the American chain Circle K. Circle K provided technical support, brand licensing, and consultancy services. Shortly after, the company was renamed Fu Chia Convenience Store Co., Ltd. Initially, its expansion strategy focused on Taipei and Keelung, adopting a “rural-to-urban” growth model, with all stores being company-owned. It wasn't until 1998 that the company introduced franchise opportunities, launching a commission-based franchise model followed by a licensing-based franchise system in 2005. These programs aimed to offer entrepreneurs low-risk, high-security, and stable-profit business opportunities, leading to a dual model of company-owned and franchised stores.^[3]

In 2005, after the expiration of its agreement with Circle K, OK Mart officially ended its partnership and rebranded as Lai Lai Convenience Store Co., Ltd. The company introduced a new corporate identity (CI) and adopted the OK Convenience Store brand. By May 2019, OK Mart had expanded to 902 locations across Taiwan.^[4]

To adapt to smart retail trends, OK Mart introduced OKmini in June 2018, a micro-sized convenience store model utilizing IoT technology and smart vending machines.^[5] These compact stores were designed for hospitals, schools, MRT stations, office buildings, and parks, enhancing accessibility and cashless transactions. In August 2018, OK Mart launched a cashless payment experience store at Taipei City Hall and, by December 2020, had established nine OKmini locations, with further expansion underway.^[6]

In 2019, OK Mart briefly entered Taitung County, marking its first expansion into eastern Taiwan. However, both stores were withdrawn within the same year.^[7]