7-Eleven Inc. has selected nearly 50 innovative and up-and-coming brands to join the convenience-store retailer’s Brands With Heart showcase. It designed the program, now in its fifth year, to give brands the opportunity to enter a new retail channel with the chance to see their products on the shelves across 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes c-stores in the United States.
- 7-Eleven Inc. is No. 1 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.
The company invited selected brands to attend the Brands With Heart showcase in early November at the 7-Eleven Store Support Center in Irving, Texas, where they will present their products to employees and meet with merchandising leadership for coaching, mentoring and educational sessions on how to grow their business both at 7-Eleven and with other retailers. Following the showcase, 7-Eleven will choose the brands that will participate in an in-store test at participating locations around the country.
This year, 7-Eleven discovered that all 49 brands it selected for the Brands With Heart program exhibit purpose-driven elements within their products and business—supporting people, the planet or the communities they serve.
“We believe our role as a leading retailer goes beyond simply providing innovative products to our customers—it’s about making a lasting difference in the communities we serve,” Marissa Jarratt, 7-Eleven executive vice president, chief marketing and sustainability officer. “This year, for the first time ever, every one of our Brands With Heart participants demonstrates a purpose-driven element, bringing us one step closer to achieving this goal. We’re excited to welcome these outstanding brands to the 7-Eleven family.”
Adam Franks, director of private and emerging brands at 7-Eleven, said, “At 7-Eleven, we’re proud to be a platform for new and innovative brands to introduce their products to the world. Not only do these products taste great, but they’re doing great things, too. We can’t wait for our customers to see them on shelves across the country.”
A few Brands with Heart participants and their missions include:
- Mezcla: This plant-based snack company is working to curb hunger with its Puff-Crispy protein snack bars and its partnership with The Hunger Project, an organization fighting food insecurity around the world. Mezcla also sources key ingredients from specific regions of the world to craft distinct flavors like Japanese Matcha Vanilla, Mexican Hot Chocolate, and Italian Pistachio Chocolate.
- Doughp: A designated Recovery Friendly Workplace, this edible and bakeable cookie dough company is working to break the stigma around mental health and addiction recovery, donating a portion of every sale to the She Recovers Foundation. The focus on addiction and mental health stems from the founder’s own history of sobriety and recovery.
- Scout: This ethical tinned fish company is working to make crafted, sustainably sourced seafood accessible to everyone. In addition to being a Certified B Corp., Scout contributes 1% of its revenue to environmental causes each year as a 1% for the Planet member, working with partners like SeaTrees to restore coastal ecosystems. It also meets MSC fisheries standards—sourcing fish from well-managed and sustainable fisheries in North America.
- Equitea: This tea company was founded with a mission to destigmatize mental health and expand accessibility to wellness-centered products. The co-founders and owners started the company after recognizing a need for wellness-based products for their son, who has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The founders work extensively in mental health outside of the business and created this company to expand the pathways to wellness.
Other 2023 Brands With Heart include:
- After’s Ice Cream
- Anthem
- Better Sour
- Christie’s Chips
- Deux
- Dream Pops
- Fillo’s
- Free2b Foods
- Get More Vits
- GinGin
- Jiant
- Juvee
- Kencko Sticks
- Knotty
- Konjac Chews
- Kove
- Leisure Project
- Like Air Popcorn
- MOSH
- Mr. Crumbles’ Delectables
- NUDE Mints
- Origin Tea
- Perfy
- Petit Pot
- Picadas USA
- Pitaya
- Pops A lot
- Pork King Good
- Ruani Brownie
- SANG Foods
- Sarilla
- Shameless Snacks
- Shine
- Sol-ti
- SOM Sleep
- SPADE
- Spot Detergent Sheets
- SPYLT
- Sweet Nothings
- Tastelli
- Toom
- Uncle Matt’s Organic
- Verb Energy
- Whoa Dough
- Zyn Turmeric Sticks
7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 13,000 stores in the United States and Canada. In addition to 7-Eleven stores, the company operates and franchises Speedway and Stripes stores and the Laredo Taco Company and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits brands.
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