“People don’t crave things they haven’t had before,” said Byrne. “You might go to a place because they serve your favorite coffee. Guess what? You have a craving for that coffee.”
One of the most memorable items in the convenience-store space is the 7-Eleven Slurpee. It’s been around for nearly 70 years and it’s so beloved that “Slurpee” has become the generic term for any fruity, icy drink.
“Slurpee is not something that can be replicated,” said Megan Edwards, senior category manager, cold dispensed, at 7-Eleven Inc. “When you want one, nothing else will do, so you just incessantly think about it until you can get to the nearest 7-Eleven or Speedway store.”