The Surprising Thing You Never Knew About 7-Eleven
This article is more than 2 years old
Convenience stores are aptly named. If you forget something from home, you can easily pop into your local corner market after gassing up. But news of a recent survey shows that shoppers may see 7-Eleven as more than just convenient.
A research firm called YouGov recently conducted a survey to uncover which grocery store Americans favor. It is an interesting topic, for sure. After all, Americans are passionate about their food and where they buy it.
You have die-hard loyalists who insist on only going to their favorite grocery store. Their preference will vary depending on where they live in the country. However, stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods may come to mind.
Other shoppers love buying groceries in bulk. Sam’s Club and Costco shoppers occasionally get into a spirited debate about which membership club is better. But, of course, you can’t leave out discount shoppers.
Many customers love hunting for great deals at grocers like Aldi’s. But one market segment may not come to mind when someone mentions groceries. That segment is the convenience store.
And, as the YouGov survey uncovered, some shoppers love buying groceries at their local corner market. Not only that, but the number one favorite grocery store happens to be 7-Eleven. Now, if that news comes as a shock, it’s understandable.
7-Eleven is everyone’s favorite spot for a summer treat (Slurpee’s). Plus, the coffee is not half bad if you need a pick-me-up on a road trip. But groceries?
The YouGov survey asked over 20 million people to rank their favorite grocery stores. And 7-Eleven took the lead, with 62% of respondents favoring the company. It soundly beat out top favorites.
According to Eat This, Not That!, 7-Eleven was “just ahead of runners-up Aldi and Kroger (61% each), with Trader Joe’s (58%) and Whole Foods Market (53%) coming in at 4th and 5th place, respectively.” That gives the company some pretty solid bragging rights. It took the lead over some pretty big names.
Thankfully, YouGov offers a demographic breakdown of its survey results. So we can get a glimpse into who has so much love for 7-Eleven. One of the groups was male respondents, who overwhelmingly favored the convenience store.
And, in unsurprising news, millennials also rated 7-Eleven highly. This group gave the company a popularity rating of 65%. On the other hand, Gen-X prefers heading to Kroger for its shopping trips.
Most of the others that made it onto the list may have you nodding in agreement. But one may catch you by surprise. “Honorable mentions in America’s top 10 included Albertsons, Safeway, Piggly Wiggly and, notably, Circle K, one of 7-Eleven’s chief convenience chain rivals.”
So, it turns out Americans have quietly started turning toward their local corner market for a quick grocery run. And while it is a little surprising, it also makes sense. Throw a rock, and you can find a store (but please don’t actually throw a rock).
7-Eleven alone has 9,400 locations across the United States. That means the chances are high that you have one closer than a grocery store. And that is perfect for those late-night snack runs.
