Chicken wing fans will be able to score deals at 7-Eleven next week for National Chicken Wing Day, but that’s not the last of food offerings coming to the convenience stores, according to multiple reports.
Those reports indicate that 7-Eleven locations might soon look more like their counterparts in Japan, at least in one important way – they’ll have more fresh food.
In the U.S., 7-Eleven has a 97-year history and its mostly known as a place to quickly buy a soda and a bag of chips, or maybe a pack of cigarettes, often at stores connected to gas stations. It was founded in Dallas, Texas. For decades, the company has been celebrating its birthday with Slurpees, a signature frozen drink dating back to the 1950s. Its most recent birthday Slurpee celebration was earlier this month.
Japan’s 7-Eleven locations – referred to as konbini – have a different vibe. There, they put a focus on “tantalizing food,” according to TODAY. Items found at Japanese 7-Eleven stores include onigiri (rice balls), fried chicken, sushi, egg sandwiches, fresh pastries, mochi and hot bar items, said PennLive.
“When 7-Eleven opened its first shop in Japan in the 1970s, the formula proved to be a super successful one and the operation eclipsed its United States counterpart,” said the PennLive report. It also said the stores there put ours “to great shame.”
In the early 1990s, following a bankruptcy, the Japanese company that held the 7-Eleven license in Japan took over majority ownership of its stock. By 2005, 7-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd., owned by Tokyo-based Seven & i Holdings, acquired full ownership of the brand.
“Ryuichi Isaka has spent more than $25 billion during the past few years to bolster an empire spanning 85,000 convenience stores, gasoline stations and retail outlets,” said a February Bloomberg report of Seven & i Holdings Co.’s CEO. He believes the Japanese version of the brand could be exported worldwide.
PennLive, which also cited a Wall Street Journal piece on “The Economics of 7-Eleven, also said some of the reasons for an upscale retooling of stores in the U.S. are declining cigarette sales and a potential decrease in gasoline sales as a result of people driving more electric vehicles. Per the outlet: “The company believes that improving overall food quality will help make up for those losses.”
Eventually, it plans to increase its current food sales from 24% to one third.
“We are constantly evolving the fresh food assortment in our stores, tailoring the offerings at each location to meet the needs and preferences of local customers,” a 7-Eleven spokesperson told TODAY.
Items 7-Eleven customers in the U.S. can look forward to seeing include chicken teriyaki rice balls, miso ramen and sweet chili crisp wings, said the outlet. Some of these are already available at select locations across the U.S.