The Impact Virtual School Will Have on Daytime Meals  

With the pandemic still uncontrolled, “back to school” is a lot more complex for parents these days. On top of the usual routine, many parents are now faced with figuring out childcare, financial burdens, and how to balance this with a full-time job. With kids at home, meal preparation will continue to be among their many demands, and parents will need help with finding convenient options.

The coronavirus pandemic also has many still working from home. Daytime meals and snacks that were often purchased at restaurants and convenience stores during the workday have now moved into the home. Going out to get food is now viewed as less convenient and too expensive since the refrigerator is so close. However, restaurants can be...

Instacart Adds 7-Eleven as First National Convenience Store Partner

Instacart and 7-Eleven announced a new collaboration that brings same-day delivery to customers, often in as fast as 30 minutes. Together, Instacart and 7-Eleven now offer delivery of thousands of convenience, alcohol, and grocery items from the store to customers' doors in participating pilot markets. The multi-phased launch is live in more than 750 stores in Dallas, Miami, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas, with plans to expand nationally to more than 7,000 7-Eleven stores across the U.S.

"We're excited to introduce 7-Eleven as Instacart's first national convenience store partner. 7-Eleven is a beloved, generational brand with a deep legacy. Most of us grew up with a 7-Eleven in our neighborhood and probably remember...

7-Eleven's 'Sips & Snacks' are Back

7-Eleven is launching Sips & Snacks 2.0 – a sequel of its 2019 in-store test which includes a new wave of food and beverages – and Californians get to be first to try them. This year's Sips & Snacks program will stock 200 7-Eleven stores in both the Los Angeles and San Diego metro areas with 84 exclusive items from a list of 25 hand-picked brands.

This special product assortment includes options for power-snackers, restricted diet-followers and anyone looking for ways to incorporate more functional, better-for-you sips and snacks to...

Convenience Store Sales Growth Doubles Between 2019 and 2020 

The pandemic has given an impressive boost to convenience store sales this year helping the market grow by more than double the rate achieved in 2019. According to the latest Mintel research, convenience sales will grow by almost 8% in 2020 - compared to the 3% achieved last year.

The significant increase in in-home food and drink experienced as a result of COVID-19 will see the convenience store market increase from £44.1 billion in 2019 to an estimated...

7-Eleven Transforms Its U.S. Store Network Through Acquisition of Speedway

7‑Eleven announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Speedway, a leading convenience store chain, from Marathon Petroleum Corp. As part of the agreement, 7‑Eleven will acquire approximately 3,900 Speedway stores located in 35 states, for $21 billion in cash.

"This acquisition is the largest in our company's history and will allow us to continue to grow and diversify our presence in the U.S., particularly in the Midwest and East Coast," said Joe DePinto, President and Chief Executive Officer of 7‑Eleven. "By adding these quality locations to our portfolio, 7‑Eleven will have the opportunity to bring...

Wawa Launches New Plant-Based Protein Breakfast Options

Wawa announced the addition of a new plant-based Sizzli Breakfast Sandwich made with Beyond Breakfast Sausage from Beyond Meat. The new Sizzli sandwich featuring Beyond Breakfast Sausage is now available in all 650 stores in its Mid-Atlantic Operating area of PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA and Washington, D.C., and will be available in all 220 stores in Florida starting on Monday, August 10.

Made with simple, plant-based ingredients, like peas and brown rice, without GMOs, soy, gluten or artificially produced ingredients, Beyond Breakfast Sausage is available as part of a Sizzli breakfast sandwich served with egg and cheese on a bagel. Beyond Breakfast Sausage is also available to...

7-Eleven Launches Order Ahead and Expands Delivery Footprint 

7-Eleven's proprietary 7NOW delivery app has officially expanded to offer customers the option to order and pay for items ahead of time, offering added convenience and minimized time spent in stores.

“As people struggle to adapt to new routines in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 7‑Eleven is committed to helping customers get what they need — when, where and how they need it,” said 7‑Eleven Chief Operating Officer Chris Tanco. “The new pickup option on our 7NOW delivery app is an example of how we’re meeting customer’s needs to be in and out of stores quickly with minimal touchpoints and increased physical distancing, while also...

Still Concerned About COVID-19, U.S. Consumers Will Want More from Convenience Stores

Across the U.S. retail landscape, the convenience channel has been the offline channel to watch over the past year. With the country in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the convenience channel is poised to be even more dominant as stay-at-home restrictions are lifted.

Last November, Nielsen forecasted that the U.S. convenience channel would grow faster than all other offline channels over the next five years. When we look at the importance of proximity to our homes and the desire among many to avoid large crowds, convenience stores have the ability to write their own future. To do so, they need to embrace the opportunity to expand beyond categories traditionally expected from the channel. Baking staples, for example, aren’t common on the shelves at most C-stores, but...

7-Eleven Expands Evolution Store Concept to Washington, D.C. and San Diego

7-Eleven, Inc. has scaled its Evolution Store concept following the successful opening of its beta store in Dallas last March. These Evolution Stores serve as real-time experiential testing grounds where customers can try the retailer's latest innovations in new store formats. Both stores include a Laredo Taco Company restaurant.

"7-Eleven's mission is to give convenience customers what they want, when and where they want it," said 7-Eleven President and Chief Executive Officer Joe DePinto. "Our evolution stores bring outstanding innovation to life through new food and beverage platforms as well as...

Nielsen: 7 Important Factors that will Shape the Future of Convenience Retail 

Across the U.S. retail landscape, we believe convenience stores will grow faster than all other offline channels over the next five years, reflecting the hyper focus consumers are putting on expediency. Convenience stores, however, are no longer just competing against other convenience store players. Channels are blurring and C-stores now compete with an array of players that include: quick serve restaurants, smaller formats of grocery and mass and drugstores that are increasingly focusing efforts on fresh and fresh prepared/grab-and-go offerings. Additionally, digital transformation and the consumer’s growing desire for frictionless retail has raised the bar for convenience retailers and their approach to technology adoption.

As a new decade of convenience retail unfolds, these are seven important factors that will shape the future of the convenience industry as we know it...