Market News

7-Eleven Revamping its Image

7 Eleven might not be the first place consumers would think of when considering their dinner options, but the convenience store retailer would like to change that. To change the way consumers regard it, the company is unveiling a plan whose objective is to make convenience stores less about pop and chips, and more about sandwiches, salads and meals-to-go. 7-Eleven also intends to locate more stores in the downtown cores of some of the largest North American cities. In Canada, the concept is being tested in downtown Vancouver, which has nine stores, and is expected to move east—hitting Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Toronto. The daily delivery of fresh food will be a unique selling feature for the company. Most convenience stores get their food every couple of days; at 7-Eleven, bakery products are wheeled out daily, along with sandwiches and produce. These developments unfold against a background of increasing competition in the convenience store sector, and rampant speculation that industry consolidation is imminent. Source: Canadian Grocer E-Newsletter, July 30, 2005.