People really feel loyalty to their convenience store of choice. Some of it comes down to geography—we feel local pride in the chains that are only around in our area. But a lot of it comes down to which one has the treats you like best, the coffee that perks you up the most and, lately, the one with the coolest merchandise.
7-Eleven, home of the Slurpee and practically synonymous with the idea of a convenience store chain, has done a couple merchandise drops over the last few years, but rather than continue one-off promotions here and there, it’s going all in with the introduction of the 7Collection store.
The first drop mixes nostalgia, American car culture that goes along with stopping at 7-Eleven, and of course the Slurpee.
The Cars of 7-Eleven collection includes car decals, a coffee scented air freshener (which first debuted in the Model 711 promotional car), a bottle opener keychain, a trucker hat (we told you they’re popular) and a vintage-looking “Where Car” T-shirt.
The other collection is framed around the Slurpee, featuring apparel showcasing both the modern and retro Slurpee logos, hats, tote bags and Funko Pop! Collectibles. Some of the hats also feature rainbow motifs to double as pride memorabilia.
Aside from those two specific collections, there are general 7-Eleven branded apparel items and accessories, using both the famous green-red-orange color scheme and specific product logos like Big Gulp.
“Over the past 95 years, 7-Eleven has become more than just a convenience store,” Marissa Jarratt, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for 7-Eleven, said in a press release. “It’s a destination for snacking, a photoshoot backdrop, a music video stage, a haven for car lovers—and an essential staple in our customers’ lives. We hope this swag serves as another reminder to our customers that we’re always here to help make their day a little more awesome.”
7-Eleven has been dipping its toes into the merchandise and e-commerce world for a while now. Most recently, it released co-branded apparel and footwear with snack brands like Fanta, Dunkaroos, Red Bull, Reese’s and Cheetos.
Before that, it partnered with designer Joe Freshgoods for a collaboration that included apparel and in-store signage.
There will be more collection drops in the future, showing that 7-Eleven still sees the value of timed capsule releases rather than releasing everything at once. But, rather than making fans hope for a drop that may not ever happen, creating a dedicated store shows that the company sees branded merchandise as a part of its identity going forward.
Oh, and because they love a good theme, 7Collection products are 11% off for 7 days.
