Back to Stores & Stations

The Power of Free Slurpees is Real: 7-Eleven Saw 51 Percent Increase in Foot Traffic on 7/11

|

Brain freeze is an excellent thing for convenience store chain;  36 percent increase in market share, outranking Shell and QuikTrip

BOSTON — Last week 7-Eleven celebrated 7-Eleven Day on July 11 (7/11) by giving away free Slurpees between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Of the 7,895 7-Eleven locations in the United States, more than 2,400 sell fuel. Today we reveal the impact the free frozen carbonated beverage had on foot traffic at 7-Eleven locations that also sell fuel.

Our data found that on Wed, July 11, 2018 the average visits per station increased 43 percent when compared to the previous 30-day period. When compared to the previous four Wednesdays, including Independence Day on July 4, there was a 51 percent increase in station visits.

Examining the impact the campaign had on market share, we narrowed down the focus to the Dallas-Fort Worth designated market area, where there is the highest concentration of 7-Eleven stations selling fuel in the U.S. Our data found there was a 36 percent increase in market share on July 11 compared to the past four Wednesdays. Typically ranked #3 in footfall traffic behind Shell and QuikTrip, 7-Eleven jumped to the #1 spot in the area on that day.

“This is a great example of how in-store promotions can separate a brand from the competition,” said Frank Beard, convenience store and retail trends analyst at GasBuddy. “More than 80 percent of convenience stores sell fuel, and the challenge has always been to convert pump traffic into in-store traffic. 7-Eleven used a well-known product (Slurpees) to drive significant foot traffic.”

In our Q1 footfall traffic report, 7-Eleven was ranked third in the 1000+ location category. The Q2 report will be issued next week. To learn more about our location and footfall insight capabilities, visit www.gasbuddy.com/go.

For budget-minded drivers, GasBuddy is the travel and navigation app that is used by more North American drivers to save money on gas than any other. Unlike fuel retailer apps, as well as newer apps focused on fuel savings, GasBuddy covers 150,000+ gas stations in North America, giving drivers 27 ways to save on fuel. That’s why GasBuddy has been downloaded nearly 90 million times – more than any other travel and navigation app focused on gas savings.