7-11

This is the place for general and miscellaneous posts on topics which might extend past the boundaries of any specific region.

Moderator: Groceteria

storeliker
Contributor
Posts: 59
Joined: 17 Dec 2005 20:48

7-11

Post by storeliker »

7-11 has an interesting history. Sometimes you can find a cooperate issued book on ebay with pics and all. Started out as an ice delivery company, bought Spee Dee convient stores in Southern California in fifties and that's when 7-11 got really popular. Later in the sixties they =developed Icee's but then later had to change the name to Slurpee. They also bought up many independent dairies and imcorperated a weird label in the seventies that I dont think is in existence anymore. 7-11's were in many markets at that time and more know I am pretty sure. They were known for there Its-It copycat Big Wheel that is now out of production and of course that nacho chili stuff, all popularized in seventies. If anyone has anyold logos, stories etc please post. It certainly for a time was a competition for the grocery store especially in fifties and sixties but by 70's roled around and 80's the shelves often stocked with just candy and real basic things since people didn't frequent the corner grocery for things other then beer, cigs, milk or bread. In the older times people were more reliant of the corner store and a definite competitor with the supermarket for a brief period.You need to know yourarchitecture if you are trying to spot older stores since 7-11 has constantly expanded, I have even seen them in Asia and they look just the same.Any info on former 7-11 or 7-11 stories would be great.
me
Jeff
Veteran
Posts: 940
Joined: 21 Nov 2005 21:44

Post by Jeff »

around here, it seems that 7-11's close and are built right next to the old one. The older locations are taken over by another market it seems.
danielh_512
Veteran
Posts: 132
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 01:33
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Post by danielh_512 »

The 7-11 format as we know it, started in Northern Virginia. Some of the very early locations can still be recognized around Washington, one of their strongest markets for sure, where one can find 5 7-11's within a 1 mile stretch of road (no exaggeration).
User avatar
Dave
Veteran
Posts: 315
Joined: 01 Dec 2005 14:08
Location: Richmond, VA
Contact:

Post by Dave »

I recently acquired some old city directories and telephone books for Richmond, VA and in the process of going through them have detemined that at least one of the first 7-11 stores in Richmond is still serving as a 7-11 (maybe a couple of others, but it's the one in my old neighborhood - I haven't sorted through all of them yet). This appears to be around 1962-63.

Some of the older stores in Richmond are now used for various other purposes - I know of a day care center, a church, and a TV repair shop.

I was told by one of the 7-11 managers back in the 1970's that the goal was to have a 7-11 every mile on the commercial corridors. They seemed to have done that and more!
rich
Veteran
Posts: 673
Joined: 15 Nov 2005 20:51
Location: Washington, DC

Post by rich »

In DC, the 7-11s probably continue to thrive because there are relatively few 24 hour super markets or fast food places and much of the diner trade is overpriced faux diners in the suburbs. They also never had significant competition and had gained a foothold by buying High's Dairy which had had "dairy stores" which were predescessors of c-stores and mostly sold milk & other dairy products, bread, a few comon groceries, and a few deli items. I've been in the process of moving to DC and have noticed that they have built a number of new stores in the city & in the 'burbs, whereas I haven't seen new stores in places like Chicago where they also have a significant presence.

Does anyone know who owns the name Seven-Eleven? Southland Corp, the master franchiser went bankrupt after the chain over expanded in the 70s or 80s. I think Southland came to be owned by a Far Eastern conglomerate. 7-11 continues to have large concentrations of stores in Japan, Hong Kong & Thailand. You can even get a Slurpee in these stores, although some of the franchises have gone in interesting directions---you can buy general merchandise from a catalog Thai 7-11s. The Thai franchise is owned by CP, a multi-national agri-business conglomerate that has been opening its Chester's chicken franchises in the US. 7-11 also had stores in Europe (I don't know if that's still true).
User avatar
Groceteria
Great Pumpkin
Posts: 1927
Joined: 04 Nov 2005 12:13
Location: In the breakroom
Contact:

Post by Groceteria »

rich wrote:Does anyone know who owns the name Seven-Eleven? Southland Corp, the master franchiser went bankrupt after the chain over expanded in the 70s or 80s. I think Southland came to be owned by a Far Eastern conglomerate.
From http://www.7-eleven.com:

On November 9, 2005, Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd., a company organized under the laws of Japan, announced that through its wholly owned subsidiary, IYG Holding Company, a Delaware corporation, it had completed its tender offer to purchase all of the issued and outstanding common stock of 7-Eleven, Inc. that it did not already own. As a result, 7-Eleven, Inc.'s common stock will no longer be publicly traded, on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise.
jamcool
Veteran
Posts: 213
Joined: 07 Nov 2005 16:10

Post by jamcool »

In New Mexico and Colorado there is a local operation called "Seven-2-Eleven", which was there before 7/11 entered that market. Seven-2-Eleven's signs are "7-2-11" with a very small "2" that seems to disappear when the sign is viewed from distance :wink:
Jeff
Veteran
Posts: 940
Joined: 21 Nov 2005 21:44

Post by Jeff »

Wasnt the name meant to originally tell people that the store was open from 7 to 11 everyday?

Also, there is one location near my house that is not open 24 hours, but closes daily at midnight and reopens at 5am.
danielh_512
Veteran
Posts: 132
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 01:33
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Post by danielh_512 »

Rich, High's Dairy is alive and well in the Baltimore area still (mainly w/Shell gas stations, but some old locations remain), but a lot were former High's in the Washington area.

A good many of Giant Food stores are open 24 hours, but the contract w/UFCW Local 400 prohibits them from being open between 11am and 6pm on Saturday nights, I believe. Safeway has a few as well. Food Lion has all but given up on 24 hr. operations, and Wal-Mart's closest 24 hr. store is in Woodbridge, VA outside Potomac Mills to the city (no Supercenters within 60 miles of Washington yet....one is being converted in Frederick, MD, still 45 miles out of the city).

The only competition comes from mainly On The Run, Tiger Mart, and other gas station c-store only operations. A few Sheetz and Wawa locations operate in the Northern Virginia perimeter, but only as close as Prince William County to my knowledge. Also...many 7-11's in Washington do not sell gasoline, those that do under the Citgo label. Exxon is the strong gas name in the area, and their merger w/ExxonMobil increased that, although formerly corporate owned Mobils after being dumped to ConocoPhillips are now owned by and being converted into the Sunoco brand.
User avatar
Dave
Veteran
Posts: 315
Joined: 01 Dec 2005 14:08
Location: Richmond, VA
Contact:

Post by Dave »

Jeff wrote:Wasnt the name meant to originally tell people that the store was open from 7 to 11 everyday?
Yes.
User avatar
Dave
Veteran
Posts: 315
Joined: 01 Dec 2005 14:08
Location: Richmond, VA
Contact:

Post by Dave »

I had the opportunity the other day to drive by two of what are original 7-Eleven stores here in Richmond, and noticed that both of these stores still had the double entrance doors, and are still open as 7-Elevens. That seems to be pretty unusual these days, as the newer stores only have one entrance and the older ones were remodeled to a single set of doors some time ago. You usually see the double door sets on older stores that are no longer 7-Elevens, but are something else (church, daycare, antique shops, etc., etc.).

Is my observation regarding the doors valid everywhere? All of these are corporate locations (former Southland) and not franchises.
User avatar
tesg
Veteran
Posts: 179
Joined: 06 Nov 2005 17:07
Contact:

Post by tesg »

Michigan seemed to be full of old or unusual 7-Eleven locations when I was there last year.

Image

This is in Traverse City.

Image

This appears to be a converted Shell station in Saginaw.

On a side note, can anybody explain why Slurpees are called "Icy Drink" in Oklahoma?
danielh_512
Veteran
Posts: 132
Joined: 28 Dec 2005 01:33
Location: Cleveland
Contact:

Post by danielh_512 »

I would guess someone already had the name trademarked in Oklahoma, meaning 7-11 couldn't use it.

As for the first 7-11, it looks strikingly like a 1970's era Sheetz location. However, Sheetz was never in Michigan, and still isn't today (Although at their rapid expansion rate, I wouldn't rule them out getting there.)
Jeff
Veteran
Posts: 940
Joined: 21 Nov 2005 21:44

Post by Jeff »

There is a 7-11 in Montebello, Ca, this is located in a former school classroom. Its on Hay Ave where the old catholic girls school was.
User avatar
Dave
Veteran
Posts: 315
Joined: 01 Dec 2005 14:08
Location: Richmond, VA
Contact:

Post by Dave »

tesg wrote:...On a side note, can anybody explain why Slurpees are called "Icy Drink" in Oklahoma?
Here's a website that explains why:

http://brandautopsy.typepad.com/brandau ... n_711.html

An interesting story.

Some other Slurpee tidbits I discovered from slurpee.com and myslurpeecup.com (first note that their are a lot of obsessive Slurpee fans, so there's disagreement on some of these):

"Icees" and the Oklahoma "Icy Drink" are different things. The "Icee" and the Slurpee are the same thing, with the "Icee" being rebranded by 7-Eleven as the Slurpee.

The "Icy Drink" and Slurpee are different from each other. The Canadian Slurpee is different from the US Slurpee (apparently because two different machine manufacturers are the most common in the two countries).

7-Eleven doesn't sell Slurpees in many locations outside of North America. The hot spots for Slurpee sales are Detroit and Winnipeg, and sales aren't as seasonal as you might think.
Post Reply