Twister. Cherry Slurpee. Red Bull…ONigiri sushi? 7-Eleven is about to get better thanks to the recent addition of Japanese snacks to its rotation.
Few Americans may realize that 7-Eleven, America’s poster child for bad gas station food, is actually owned by a Japanese company, Seven & I Holdings. Although it was originally an American company, it was acquired by its Japanese subsidiary in the late 1980s after the original business suffered a downward spiral of debt and other financial difficulties. Now the franchise is reinventing itself to include more Japanese snacks in its U.S. product line, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Frankly, the company could have done this earlier and reaped windfall profits. Who doesn’t like a good rice ball every once in a while? According to the Wall Street Journal video, upcoming snacks include ramen, rice balls, milk tea and other favorites. To a lot of people, I think it’s more appealing than dry, day-old hot dogs, bad coffee, and cigarettes.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the product shift may be the result of changing sales patterns in the gas station and convenience store industry. Cigarettes and gasoline have always been staple products in such stores, but their sales have been declining for quite some time. As a result, many chains are putting more emphasis on food. For a company like 7-Eleven, this means diversifying the types of products the brand offers customers.
Japan’s 7-Eleven stores have long been known for their food variety, so it’s great to see 7-Eleven stores in the U.S. offering snacks as well.
