DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc. has choreographed a celebration to mark its 86th birthday Thursday, July 11 (7/11), also known as "Free Slurpee Day." In-store and online festivities include:
- Free small Slurpee drinks: That's a full 12 ounces, almost double the previous years' 7.11-oz. size, offered from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time on July 11 at participating 7-Eleven stores in the United States and Canada.
- Slurpee Dance: YouTube dancing phenom Nathan Barnatt has posted his own version of the Slurpee dance as well as how-to videos on www.7-eleven.com/slurpeedance and YouTube. The retailer is encouraging fans to download the Slurpee Dance theme song, follow Nathan's lead or make up their own moves and post them to 7-Eleven's Facebook fan page, on Twitter, YouTube or Vine with the tag @slurpee #slurpeedance.
- Fab flavors: This summer's featured Slurpee flavors are Slurpee Strawberry Lemonshade and Slurpee Lite Sugar-Free Mango Lemonade.
- Party favors: The tiny party hats are back, along with tiny dancers and assorted human-size bows and bands (for heads and wrists). Consumers can download the party paraphernalia at www.7-eleven.com/SlurpeeDance.
- Slurpee swag: Consumers can purchase Slurpee-branded merchandise at participating 7-Eleven stores with mix-and-match promotional pricing. Hats and sandals are two for $8.99 or $5.99 each, while t-shirts and tank tops are two for $11.99 or $8.99 each. Neon-colored Slurpee sunglasses also are available for $4.99 a pair. Previously, all merchandise was only available through the Slurpee Rewards catalog.
- Motivational chinchilla: "Those needing a little extra motivation to get their groove on can download Pam, the motivational chinchilla with four affirming phrases," the company said.
- "Keep up with what's 'APP'-ening": Consumers can download the 7-Eleven app at the iTunes store or Google Play to take advantage of all the #Awesummer freebies and exclusive deals and special offers available all summer long. 7-Eleven will announce new ones each week.
- Birthday Beach Bash: Actress Nikki Reed--"Rosalie Hale" from the Twilight movie saga--threw a birthday beach bash this week for 7-Eleven at a Malibu, Calif., beach house, with giant Slurpee cup sandcastle art created by award-winning sand sculptor Mark Mason and the Sandtastic team, music and the Slurpee Dance.
"7-Eleven Day, July 11, occurs at the approximate midpoint of summer and the Slurpee season when summer fun is in high gear. It also marks a milestone for 7-Eleven when we raise a collective Slurpee toast and dance a crazy dance to celebrate our birthday and all things 7-Eleven," said Laura Gordon, 7-Eleven vice president of marketing and brand innovation. "We promised #Awesummer this year with more fun, more free stuff and more surprises, and summer is far from over. There's lots more to come."
July 11 marks the day that the world's No. 1 convenience retailer celebrates its many milestones. 7-Eleven, the world's first convenience store, began its run in the summer of 1927 when a Southland Ice Co. employee started selling bread, milk and eggs on an ice dock in a Dallas suburb. Since that inauspicious start, "convenience" has become big business. The small ice company has grown into a major international retailing chain with approximately 10,100 7-Eleven stores in North America and more than 50,700 stores worldwide.
The company has celebrated its birthday on July 11 for decades, but it wasn't until its 75th birthday in 2002 that its stores began hosting birthday parties coast-to-coast with free Slurpee drinks for its customers.
Meanwhile, in Canada, 7-Eleven has announced that 485 stores from British Columbia to Ontario will be giving away 12-oz. Slurpees on July 11.
And for the 14th consecutive year, Manitoba has been crowned the Slurpee Capital of the World for having the highest average number of Slurpee cups sold per store in a region. But challengers are still moving in with Calgary and Detroit slurping close behind.
Dallas-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 10,100 7-Eleven stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven has more than 50,700 stores in 16 countries. During 2012, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales of approximately $84.8 billion.
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