The Slurpee Is Finally Coming To Western Australia

7-Eleven has announced it will be expanding into Western Australia this year, bringing an end to a 37-year Slurpee drought in the region. A projected 75 stores are expected to open in the next five years with the first 11 arriving in 2014. May your Slurpee cup runneth over!

Despite being one of Australia’s largest convenience store chains with over 600 stores across the country, 7-Eleven has yet to make any inroads into the Western Australian market. This is set to change in 2014, with the company preparing a big push into WA in a bid to capitalise on the aftershocks of the mining boom.

“Economic and population growth in Western Australia, and boosted demand for convenience stores in the state, has helped make this expansion a reality,” 7-Eleven CEO Warren Wilmot explained in a statement about the move.

“Consumers have been asking us for some time when we were coming to Perth, because they are desperate for a great fuel and convenience offer. I’m pleased to be able to tell our fans that we’ll see them in WA soon.”

The expansion into WA will be the first time 7-Eleven has entered a new Australian market in more than 30 years. (The company currently operates in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.)

There are plans to open 11 stores this year, followed by a further 64 by 2019. This will include a mix of fuel and standalone convenience stores. We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce our WA readers to Free Slurpee Day. Hurrah!

If you don’t like frozen beverages, 7-Eleven also sells $1 coffees — this could be a boon in Perth, which consistently has the highest coffee prices in Australia.

See also: Death By Brain-Freeze: The 7-Eleven ‘Slurpee Crawl’ Challenge | Taste Test: 7-Eleven’s Caribbean-Flavoured Slurpee | Reminder: Today Is ‘Bottomless Slurpee’ Day At 7-Eleven