July 11, 2013
7-Eleven Celebrates 86th Birthday with Free Slurpee Drink Promotion
July 11 marks the day that the world’s No. 1 convenience retailer celebrates its many milestones.
7-Eleven, the world’s first convenience store, began its run in the summer of 1927 when a Southland Ice Company employee started selling bread, milk and eggs on an ice dock in a Dallas suburb.
Since that start, “convenience†has become big business. The small ice company has grown into a major international retailing chain with approximately 10,100 7-Eleven stores in North America and more than 50,700 stores worldwide.
To celebrate this milestone, 7-Eleven stores are hosting birthday parties coast-to-coast with free Slurpee drinks for its customers. Offered from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time at participating 7-Eleven stores in the U.S. and Canada, customers can get a free 12 ounce Slurpee, nearly double the size of last years  7.11-ounce size.
“7-Eleven Day, July 11, occurs at the approximate midpoint of summer and the Slurpee season when summer fun is in high gear,” said Laura Gordon, 7-Eleven vice president of marketing and brand innovation. “It also marks a milestone for 7-Eleven when we raise a collective Slurpee toast and dance a crazy dance to celebrate our birthday and all things 7-Eleven.”
The brand has more than just its birthday to celebrate. During 2012, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.8 billion. Additionally, 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes Magazine’s 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #3 spot on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 2012, #3 in Forbes magazine’s Top 20 Franchises to Start; #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. 7-Eleven is No. 3 on Fast Company magazine’s 2013 list of the “World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Retail†and among the Top Veteran-Friendly Companies for 2013 by U.S. Veterans Magazine.