7-Eleven has named Varun Khanna as director of product development for its private label brands, Khanna confirmed to C-Store Dive on Monday.
Khanna, who said that his first day with the convenience retailer was Sept. 30, added that he’ll focus on “ingredient-led product development” as he works with 7-Eleven’s merchandising, operations, logistics and procurement teams.
In the coming months, Khanna’s priorities will include leveraging industry insights to align 7-Eleven’s offerings with shifting consumer preferences, identifying “white spaces” to capture new growth opportunities and helping refine 7-Eleven’s go-to-market strategies, he said.
“My team and I aim to introduce innovative, purposeful products while enhancing existing categories to meet customer expectations and anticipate market trends,” Khanna said in a statement to C-Store Dive.
Khanna brings several years of food-focused research and development experience to 7-Eleven. He most notably worked for yogurt manufacturer Chobani for over seven years, spending three-and-a-half of those as the company’s director of innovation, according to his LinkedIn bio. In that position, Khanna led the innovation pipelines within Chobani’s dairy and non-dairy divisions and was the research and development lead for external co-packing opportunities, he noted in his bio.
Khanna’s hiring comes as 7-Eleven continues to focus on its private label program. CEO Joseph DePinto said earlier this month that the retailer is banking on its private label products — in addition to its food and beverage modernization program — to help dig it out of its current financial hole in North America. The company is also planning on closing nearly 450 underperforming locations.
Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven also revealed last week that it’s planning to open over 600 large-format, food-focused convenience stores by the end of 2027. The company also hired a new senior vice president of fresh foods earlier this month.
