Dive Brief:
- 7-Eleven plans to offer one free year of its 7Now Gold Pass subscription delivery service to anyone who signs up for the program for the first time between Nov. 25 and Nov. 28, according to an announcement last week.
- 7Now Gold Pass, which normally costs $5.95 per month for the standard version, gives members free delivery on more than 3,000 items. It was first rolled out in January.
- The offer comes in conjunction with the start of the 2022 holiday shopping season and a winter-themed update to 7-Eleven’s merchandise store.
Dive Insight:
7-Eleven is using the busy holiday season to aggressively boost adoption of its subscription delivery service. Competition for shoppers’ subscription dollars has grown intense, with companies like Instacart and Walmart also offering membership programs with free delivery, making the c-store chain’s pitch to shoppers all the more challenging.
Gold Pass offers customers free delivery through the 7Now app. They can also access a wide array of items, from hot food and snacks to alcoholic beverages, with proper identification to prove they’re older than 21.
The average delivery time for orders placed through 7Now is half an hour, though it will vary based on how many drivers are available, the traffic conditions and where the nearest store is. Delivery through the app is available in more than 500 cities, and customers can track their delivery, so they know approximately when it will arrive at their home.
"Our 7NOW Gold Pass subscription delivery service … [gives] our customers the ability to order what they want, when they want it — and now as often as they want without an added delivery fee," Raghu Mahadevan, 7‑Eleven senior vice president and chief digital officer, said in a press release when Gold Pass first launched.
Gold Pass has two versions — a standard version for most customers and a $3.95-per-month student version, which can be accessed with a valid student email. Customers who have previously had Gold but canceled it are not eligible for the offer.
The merchandise shop, which initially launched in August, was also updated with winter items such as a blanket, a knit hat and a sweater.
Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven has over 13,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada, between company-owned stores and those it franchises out or licenses. In addition to 7-Eleven-branded stores, it also owns Speedway and Stripes.
