DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc. said it is focusing more on local tastes, preferences and new items as part of the company's Retailer Initiative strategy to better serve the ever-changing needs of customers and give them what they want, when and where they want it.
For example, just as we are localizing our fresh-food menus around the country, hot beverage category manager Donald Driver said, we are paying attention to what coffees people prefer in different areas of the U.S. and adding regional favorites to our national top sellers. That might mean Southern [image-nocss] Pecan Pie in Texas and Florida, Butter Toffee in the Midwest, Hawaiian Hazelnut on the West Coast and Caramel Crunch in the Northeast.
Personalization is hot, Driver said. Just look at wireless phones and iPods. People choose colors, cases and ring tones to reflect their personalities and preferences. Consumers want to personalize their beverages, too.
The regional ordering system can work both ways, he added. A popular variety in a particular region can find a national audience. Dutch Apple Crumb-flavored coffee, a favorite among Northeasterners, is being offered to the rest of the country's 7-Eleven stores this fall.
Besides colder temperatures, fall and winter mean shorter days and less daylight, Driver said. I think people feel hurried to get more done during the daylight hours, like getting the kids to school in the morning and to extracurricular activities, lessons, practices and games. Add the advent of the holiday season and the need for a pick-me-up, you'll find that many people feel like a cup of coffee is a necessity. This time of year, people want all the help they can get.
In addition to a pick-me-up, Driver said that for many, coffee serves as a comfort beverage, much like favorite comfort foods that also seem to be especially popular in colder temperatures. So that consumers could customize their comfort beverage, 7-Eleven introduced an expanded line of flavored syrups, creamers and condiments a few years ago. Hot beverage choices also include hot chocolate, cappuccino and tea.
Last year, the company added its World Roasts line with gourmet origin coffees and blends from around the globe. According to Driver, a typical 7-Eleven store carries approximately eight different coffees, with the store manager ordering a mix of top sellers, regional favorites, an international variety and flavored coffees to meet his customers' taste profiles.
Some factoids:
November is historically the retailer's biggest coffee sales month. 7-Eleven customers in the Northeast, one of the first coffee-to-go markets, consume more coffee than anywhere else in the country. On average, 7-Eleven customers pour for themselves more than 1 million cups of hot coffee each dayequal to 10,000 pots of coffee brewed every hour of every day of the year.Separately, 7-Eleven is sponsoring the Dear Santa holiday special on the ABC Family channel (December 16 at 7:00 a.m. Eastern). Santa grants the special wishes of real children with help from celebrity elves Matt Dallas (Kyle XY), Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk, hit recording artist Brian McKnight, Raven-Symone (That's So Raven), Wilmer Valderrama (That 70's Show) and host Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars).
Roel wrote to Santa about his family. His aunt and uncle were killed and his four cousins have come to live with him. His mother Blanca and father Atilo are trying to adopt the girls. To accommodate a family of seven, his parents have given up their bedroom to the girls and now sleep on the family room floor. Blanca had to quit working to watch the young children; daycare is out of the question financially. With a visit by the L.A. Galaxy soccer team, a trip to the American Girl Place Los Angeles and a special surprise, the children will have their Christmas wishes come true.
The special will also take a look at two of last year's children who were granted Christmas wishes and see how they are doing. These families will help pass along the giving spirit by paying it forward to others in need.
7-Eleven stores helped one young girl last year get closer to her dream of becoming a doctor by offering to assist with her education, said Doug Foster, 7-Eleven's vice president of marketing. This holiday season we again look forward to working with the Dear Santa' program by providing assistance to four children who have lost their parents and are doing everything possible to stay together.
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