LOS ANGELES -- The first 7-Eleven convenience store located inside a U.S. airport terminal will open later this month at Los Angeles' International Airport (LAX).
7-Eleven Inc., Westfield and LS travel retail North America, the concessionaire operating this new location, will hold a grand opening on June 24.
7-Eleven's inaugural U.S. airport terminal location is in the pre-security arrivals level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Tim Montalbano, area manager for LS travel retail, is “captain” for the new c-store. He employs a full-time team supervisor and a crew of six full-time and two part-time staffers.
The LAX 7-Eleven store's product mix of fresh and hot foods, beverages, snacks, travel-size personal care products and nonfood items is tailored specifically for arriving travelers as well as airline and airport employees.
"We believe visitors and airport employees will be pleasantly surprised at how many of their travel and everyday needs 7-Eleven can fill in just under 1,000 square feet," said Norm Hower, 7-Eleven's zone leader for the greater Los Angeles area. "Just as with every 7-Eleven, we customize and cross-check each store's product mix to offer what our customers want. Travelers and those in the travel industry have needs for products you might not find at a neighborhood 7-Eleven. Whether they are arriving at their final destination or in the middle of a work shift, we look forward to serving the thousands who come through [the] terminal every day."
Some of the items visitors to the new 950-square-foot LAX 7-Eleven c-store will find:
- Hot food. 7-Eleven's galley offers hot pizza, both whole and by the slice; chicken wings and tenders, Go-Go Taquitos, nachos and mini-tacos, Doritos Loaded, breakfast sandwiches and empanadas, Big Bite hot dogs including a bacon-wrapped version and The Dodger Dog, the 10-inch frankfurter that is wrapped in a steam bun and sold at Dodger Stadium, but for only $2.11. 7-Eleven is the only retailer selling this hot dog outside of the stadium, it said.
- Fresh-made-daily sandwiches. Italian Sub, Cranberry Chicken Salad, American foot-long sub, Chicken Bacon Ranch Melt and Smoked Turkey and Cheese; entree and side salads, and fresh-cut fruit like apples, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, kiwi and mango; fresh veggies and dip.
- Fresh snacks. Hummus, guacamole and yogurt parfaits.
- Baked goods. Both fresh and packaged, including Cinnabon Gooey Bites.
- Snacks and more snacks. Granola, energy and protein bars, chips, crackers, nuts, trail mix, pretzels, cookies, cereal, candy, gum, 7-Eleven's own 7-Select premium snacks and beef jerky.
- Beverages. Slurpee and Big Gulp beverages; coffee and tea--hot and iced, along with hot chocolate and cappuccino drinks; bottled tea and coffee drinks; energy drinks; sports drinks; juice; lemonade; smoothies; carbonated soft drinks (CSDs); milk; water; and more.
- Other merchandise. Eighteen travel-sized items; over-the-counter motion sickness, stomach acid and allergy relief; a variety of popular magazines and newspapers.
The store is built according to 7-Eleven's “modern and sophisticated” take on the brand's design. The company selected the facility's color palette and finishes to highlight 7-Eleven's fresh food, which is made in local kitchens and delivered to the store daily.
Unlike the typical 24-hour 7-Eleven store, this location's operating hours are from 6:00 a.m. to midnight.
With more than 56,000 stores in 16 countries, 7-Eleven has been cited as the most recognized brand for travelers by CNN's travel staff, which ranked it at the top of its list of 20 "blessedly familiar stops" in unfamiliar locations. Approximately 59 7-Eleven c-stores can be found at airports in 12 other countries. While this is the first in-terminal location for 7-Eleven in the United States, the company has three other stores on U.S. airport properties, with several more planned in terminals over the next few years.
"With a post-security environment that rivals some of the world's best airports in design, dining, retail and amenities, we are pleased to begin debuting the next phase of the new Tom Bradley International Terminal within the pre-security area," said Keith Kaplan, Westfield's vice president of development. "We are confident this 7-Eleven concept will enhance the experience of arriving travelers.”
LS travel retail operates a network of local, national and international travel essentials, specialty retail, duty-free and food and beverage brands in more than 20 countries. With a presence in 30 North American airports, LS Travel Retail aims to be a preferred partner for travel environments by offering tailored solutions that optimize the financial and experiential potential of their facilities, while delivering trendsetting products and services. In LAX, the LS travel retail network already includes four retail and six food and beverage locations.
Westfield offers customer experiences in U.S. airports by developing environments that capture each city's style and spirit, integrating food, fashion, entertainment and amenities and using technology to enhance the passenger journey. Current developments include JFK, LAX, Newark, George Bush Intercontinental, Boston Logan, Orlando, Miami and Chicago O'Hare airports.
Based in Dallas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses nearly 10,500 7-Eleven convenience stores in North America. During 2013, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.5 billion.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.