7-Eleven has named Sembe Cole vice president of merchandising for its center store and seasonal product categories, a company spokesperson confirmed to C-Store Dive.
Cole now provides end-to-end oversight for 7-Eleven’s center of store and seasonal portfolio for more than 12,500 stores nationwide, he said in his LinkedIn bio. This includes driving category vision, product innovation and performance optimization while ensuring these categories evolve with consumer behaviors and marketplace trends, he added.
Subcategories under Cole’s supervision now include packaged foods, snacks, confectionery, frozen treats and ice cream, health and beauty, and toys, he said.
Cole has held numerous leadership roles since joining 7-Eleven in 2002, according to his LInkedIn bio. He was most recently VP of the company’s western franchise operations, a role in which he oversaw over 2,600 franchised 7-Eleven c-stores in the western U.S. During last year’s second quarterly National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees meeting, Cole spoke about the problemss franchisees face, including labor quality and supply chain issues.
Prior to leading 7-Eleven’s franchise operations out West, Cole was VP of 7-Eleven’s North Atlantic operations, where he managed over 1,100 stores from Pennsylvania to Maine, according to his LinkedIn bio. Through the years with 7-Eleven, Cole has also been director of operations, zone merchandise leader, market manager, field merchandising manager and field and business consultant, according to his LinkedIn bio.
Cole’s promotion will not impact Dennis Phelps, the longtime 7-Eleven SVP who started leading 7-Eleven’s center store and field merchandising segments last month, according to the spokesperson.
