Dive Brief:

• 7-Eleven has linked up with Minibar Delivery to deliver alcoholic beverages within 30 to 60 minutes, according to a press release. The partnership is launching across roughly 600 of the convenience chain’s stores in Florida, Texas and Virginia before expanding to more markets later this year.
• Through the service, customers can use Minibar’s app or website to order wine and beer, along with snacks, drinks and prepared foods, from 7-Eleven. 
• The convenience store chain's alcohol e-commerce news follows its rapid expansion of delivery from storefronts in the last year.

Dive Insight:

The partnership with the online alcohol service is the latest of a string of e-commerce delivery partnerships 7-Eleven has made in recent years. 

7-Eleven is tapping into customers’ expectations for on-demand alcohol delivery, which has boomed during the pandemic as some restrictions loosened, Raghu Mahadevan, 7-Eleven’s digital senior vice president, said in the announcement. The company's delivery footprint has more than doubled during the past year, Mahadevan noted.

The convenience store chain, which has partnered with several e-commerce services, including DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, is also growing the number of its stores with alcohol delivery through Instacart. 

The initial launch with Minibar is focusing on major metropolitan cities, like Orlando, Tampa and Miami in Florida; San Antonio, Dallas and Austin in Texas; and Alexandria, Norfolk and Virginia Beach in Virginia. The companies did not indicate how many more markets are part of the expansion planned for later this year. 

In announcing the news, the companies are looking to incentivize shoppers to try the service by offering $7.11 off their first Minibar Delivery order from 7-Eleven. The convenience chain is also highlighting its alcohol assortment, which encompasses national and private brands, along with its food selection, which includes packaged and prepared items as well as its famous Slurpees. 

Meanwhile, New York City-based Minibar is looking to grow its product assortment and recently launched a “Snacks & More” category, broadening the range of items people can buy along with alcohol. 

For 7-Eleven, the growth of its alcohol delivery markets and e-commerce services comes at a time when the chain is increasingly spotlighting its food and beverage offerings. The company is piloting a restaurant drive-thru concept and has been testing more grocery and meal-focused stores, along with growing its number of stores with restaurants.