7-Eleven Unwraps 11 Last-Minute Gift Ideas, 7 Solutions

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DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc. said that with 6% of shoppers waiting until the last minute to do their holiday shopping, 7-Eleven convenience stores are, as usual, ready to meet the needs of these busy people.

Most 7-Eleven stores have been open 24/7 for more than 50 years, bailing out people facing holiday emergencies, like missing recipe ingredients and "No Batteries Included" gifts. And they can count on 7-Eleven to have popular and exclusive gifts for stocking stuffers or under the tree--every day, 24/7 and even Christmas morning.

Shopping can be as easy as grabbing gift cards during a morning coffee stop, running in to get a toy while the driver or passenger is refueling, or picking up a teacher's present on the trip home. From gift cards to gifts wrapped and ready to give, toys, collectibles and a few unexpected finds, picking up some last-minute gifts can be quite convenient at the neighborhood 7-Eleven store.

"Providing convenience is what we do best, and that may never be as important as this time of year when everyone is hustling and bustling toward the holiday finish line," said Rebecca Frechette, 7-Eleven senior vice president of merchandising.

11 Gift Ideas at 7-Eleven

1. Gift cards still top the deck. No 1 on this list and everyone else's. According to the National Retail Federation, gift cards continue to top holiday wish lists. The NRF projects that almost $30 billion will be spent on gift cards this holiday season. 7-Eleven carries an assortment of gift cards in multiple denominations focused on general use and digital entertainment--gaming, music, video, smartphones and other devices--ranging in price from $10 to $500. For gamers of all ages, the selection is extensive: Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, World of Warcraft, Minecraft, League of Legends, Runescape, Steam, KarmaKorn and more. Other online entertainment and shopping cards include iTunes, GooglePlay, hulu plus, Paypal, Facebook and Kindle Fire. And 7-Eleven has its own gift cards, specially designed for coffee-lovers.
2. Gifts to go. Even more convenient than buying a gift at 7-Eleven is buying one that's already wrapped and ready to give. Even better? The price. Each gift is $7.99 each or just $20 for three. The selection of eight on-trend gifts is perfect for stocking stuffers, teachers and neighbors, office exchange or anyone. Featured on a special display at participating stores, eight different gifts are available: touch-screen stylus and pen, mobile phone power brick emergency charger, mini-tape gun, spring-loaded bottle opener, LED digital sports band watch, retro corded phone receiver, multi-function tool, and mobile phone stand.
3. Look! Up in the air! Remote-control (RC) helicopters are making a return trip to 7-Eleven this year, with four models for all ages and budgets. Comparable to those found in toy and discount stores, the selection includes a UFO alien spaceship for youngsters at $14.99, a $34.99 Gyropter, a Micro Drone with titanium wheels that can "climb" walls at $39.99, and the Doom Fighters, a pair of dueling helicopters that can be shot down by the other, $49.99.
4. Run, run Rudolph. The longest-running TV Christmas special about a red-nosed reindeer celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. And 7-Eleven has four talking and singing limited-edition characters from the stop-action animated classic--Rudolph, Santa, elf Hermey and prospector Yukon Cornelius. Each retails for $6.99, and shoppers who buy all four can receive a free Bumble, the Abominable Snow Monster of the North, through a mail-in offer.
5. Water Dance Speakers. The water-filled USB stereo speakers dance to the music as water jets colored by LED lights keep the beat. The new electronic gadget won "best new item" last January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Available in two versions for $29.99 and $49.99. 
6. Frozen, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Minions and My Little Pony. –Funko's Pop! cast of characters--collectible, vinyl figures--are small-in-stature, big-in-head characters. 7-Eleven stores are carrying a variety of the collectibles with some exclusives that can't be found anywhere else--Disney's Frozen Coronation Day characters (now flying out of the stores and hard to find), Bloody Carl from Walking Dead and one of the direwolves killed in the Game of Thrones series at $9.99.
7. (Almost) Live Greeting Cards. Video greeting cards from Memory Tag. "Scan it. Tag it. Share it." After purchasing the $3.99 card from 7-Eleven, the sender downloads the Memory Tag smartphone app, scans the card's QR code and records or downloads a video message from their smartphone before sending. The recipient then scans the QR code to open and play the video message in the Memory Tag app.
8. Hop on popcorn. Decorative canisters of 7-Select gourmet popcorn clusters are priced at $5.99. The 12-ounce containers come in three varieties: chocolate-drizzled caramel, cranberry caramel with cashews and almonds and English toffee with cashews and almonds.
9. Binge watch bonanza. An eclectic selection of gently watched DVDs and Blu-Ray disks that can keep one occupied for hours are priced from $1.99 to $5.99. They include movies and full seasons of popular television series. Look for the "Treasure Hunt" display. Participating stores may also carry popular CDs, value-priced from $3.99 to $7.99.
10. Calling all shoppers. For those who have a phone on their wish list, 7-Eleven has that covered with a selection of prepaid phones ranging in price from just $4.99 for an LG 440 Tracfone Flip to $19.99 for a Tracfone LG 305/306 or Net 10 LG 38/34 Android smartphone, regularly priced at $49.99. With a 3.2-inch touch-screen, the LG Android 2.3 has web capability, social networking, email, camera-video and text, Instant Messenger and picture messaging.
11. You animal! 7-Eleven's warm, furry hats can bring out the animal in anybody. These animal hats will keep heads and ears warm with style. They come in two styles: one for $12.99 with short-legged ear-flap "paws," and the other at $14.99 with longer legs and paws that can be tied or serve as pockets to keep hands warm, too. There are lions, tigers and many other styles,

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Seven 7-Eleven Holiday Solutions

1. Missing ingredients (sugar, flour, chicken broth, stuffing mix, turkey gravy, mushroom soup, green beans, cranberries, mashed potatoes, evaporated milk, dairy, eggs, rolls and more).
2. Batteries.
3. Contributions to holiday parties (tub snacks, cut-up fruit and veggies, hummus, cheese, crackers, chips, cookies, donuts and more).
4. Wine and beer, craft holiday packs.
5. White elephant gift (the ever-popular lottery ticket).
6. Firewood.
7. Hot pizza (for that busy night's dinner).

"No matter if you run out of flour, sugar or milk for a family recipe, need a last-minute present for someone unexpected, or don't have enough batteries to get that Santa gift started, the neighborhood 7-Eleven store can come to the rescue," said Frechette. "We are here for people in a hurry--a convenient place to shop for basics as well as something to make the holidays bright. Perhaps at this time of year more than any other, our longtime slogan of 'Oh Thank Heaven' rings especially true with our customers."

Based in Dallas, 7-Eleven operates franchises or licenses more than 10,400 7-Eleven convenience stores in North America. Globally, there are more than 54,400 7-Eleven c-stores in 16 countries. During 2013, 7-Eleven c-stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.5 billion.

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