IRVING, Texas -- In a first for the industry, 7-Eleven Inc. has launched a chatbot on Facebook Messenger for customers to engage with the chain in a new way online.
While chatting with the bot, users can sign up for the chain’s 7Rewards program, find a store location near them, learn about recent discount offers and more at any time of the day.
The company said the bot uses automation and machine learning to function, and is meant to appeal to the chain’s “on-the-go, time-starved and digitally-reliant consumers,” especially millennials and Generation Z.
The bot’s launch follows recent tweaks to the 7Rewards loyalty program, allowing members to earn and redeem points and bonus points while they shop. The bot also comes on the heels of 7-Eleven’s recent adoption of Amazon Cash, which allows c-store customers to add money to their Amazon account using physical currency.
The company's Facebook Messenger bot will “improve and advance” over time, according to the company, indicating that this chatbot launch is the first step in 7-Eleven’s “digital innovation.”
Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc. operates, franchises or licenses more than 61,000 stores in 17 countries, including 10,900 in North America. It ranked No. 1 in CSP's 2017 Top 202 list of the largest c-store chains in the United States.
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