Dive Brief:
- 7-Eleven is releasing a variety of limited-time themed merchandise for its 7Collection online store as the company celebrates its 96th birthday, according to a Thursday press release.
- In conjunction with the event, customers who sign up for the 7Now Gold Pass — a subscription that gives customers free delivery through the 7Now app — for the first time on July 11 will get the service for free through the end of the year.
- This is the second time the convenience retailer has offered months of free 7Now Gold in conjunction with a seasonal update to the merch store.
Dive Insight:
While many of its peers are revamping their loyalty programs and apps, 7-Eleven has built a strong digital ecosystem with both its 7-Eleven and 7Now Delivery apps and now aims to draw more people in.
To get the free 7Now subscription through the end of December, the applicant must not have an existing or canceled 7Now subscription already. The company had previously offered one year of 7Now Gold for free to those signing up for the first time on Black Friday. The subscription normally costs $6.95 per month.
7Rewards and Speedy Rewards members can save an additional 11 cents off per gallon of gas on July 11, which can be added in with any other offers in the loyalty apps and can be applied to a maximum of 25 gallons. Loyalty members get a variety of $1 food offers as part of the event too.
Customers who are loyalty members and also use 7Now can also qualify for up to three free Slurpees for the event. Rewards members can get one through June 10, a second can be redeemed when ordering through 7Now on July 8 and everyone can get a free one on July 11.
On the merch side, the birthday update includes clothing for adults, children and infants, as well as party accessories like wrapping paper and gift bags.
7-Eleven is embracing the trend of c-stores introducing and adding to merch shops. In the last month, Wawa added new shirts and other items for its Hoagiefest event, and last fall Stewart’s Shops added its own digital storefront for branded items. Companies like Circle K, Kum & Go and Sheetz also sell items online to let fans rep their brands.
Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc. owns, licenses or franchises about 13,000 locations in North America, including 7-Eleven, Speedway, Stripes and more. The company offers a variety of foodservice and private label goods, and its loyalty program has more than 50 million members.
