7-Eleven Inc.

7-Eleven Inc., which began life as an icehouse in 1927, has evolved into the world's largest and most recognizable convenience retailer. The chain, a privately held, wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd., is famous for its iconic Slurpee and Big Gulp dispensed beverages. It operates, franchises or licenses about 8,700 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

7-Eleven's store count consists primarily of franchisees, and the company has made it a goal to become a virtually 100% franchise-run chain. Companies in the U.S. that are licensed to operate under the 7-Eleven brand are called Domestic Master Franchisees rather than licensees. 

The company continues its accelerated growth, expanding in the United States and Canada. Key growth markets for 7-Eleven include Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Seattle, the Tidewater region of Virginia (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk, etc.), Dallas-Fort Worth, and the Florida markets of Orlando and Tampa.

7-Eleven distinguishes itself from the competition with its many proprietary and private-label items. The company has assembled a "restaurant-quality" team that is introducing more fresh foods to the chain.

Its "Retailer Initiative" allows a store operator to align his or her product assortment with the store's customer preferences, while a proprietary Retail Information System, which was created to simplify inventory management for store operators, and an advanced distribution system ensure the freshest possible product assortment.