7-Eleven Aired The First Television Advertisement For A Convenience Store – In 1947

On July 11th, one convenience chain celebrates with specials on National 7-Eleven Day! Conveniently scheduled on 7-11 of each year, the day often features one of their signature items, the Slurpee.

The day focuses on franchise customers. The chain offers discounts and often free Slurpees in their many flavors. Since July is known for its summer heat, the icy cold beverage is a popular choice for cooling off all summer long.

• 1927 – Convenience retailing was born in Oak Cliff, Texas, a Dallas suburb. In 1927, Southland Ice Co. employee “Uncle Johnny” Green started selling milk, eggs, and bread from the ice dock on evenings and weekends when grocery stores were closed.
  • Considered the first convenience store, it started as Southland Ice Company with the logo Totem because people could conveniently “tote ’em” their items home.
• 1947 – The company expanded its hours to 7 AM to 11 PM, and it changed its name.
• 1949 – 7-Eleven aired the first television advertisement for a convenience store.
• 1959 – The frozen, carbonated beverage was invented by a Kansas hamburger stand owner. Using an automobile air conditioner, he created equipment that would freeze a carbonated soft drink and serve it in a sherbet-like form that could be sipped through a straw.
• 1965 – 7-Eleven stores began selling Slurpee drinks, then called Icees.
• 1966 – Around 7.2 billion Slurpee drinks have been purchased—enough for everyone on Earth.
• 1970 – The Slurpee has its own songs. 7-Eleven released a vinyl record with two songs about the Slurpee. One song is titled “Dance the Slurp.” The other is a short comedy act discussing how “strange things” happen to people who “slurp” at 7-Eleven. The record was given away with a purchase.
• 1976 – The Big Gulp drink, 7-Eleven stores’ proprietary 32-ounce fountain cup, is the granddaddy of large-size drinks. The Big Gulp nearly doubled the company’s fountain business overnight.
• 1990 – Brain freeze was often used as a sports term for athletes who faltered on the field. It also applies to the side effects of medications, especially if they affect our mental capacity.
• 1991 – The term “brain freeze” existed before 7-Eleven commandeered it in 1991 to replace “ice cream headache” or the more technical “cold stimulus headache”.
• 1999 – DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist sampled the 1970 7-Eleven song “Dance the Slurp” for their Brainfreeze mix album. The song includes the lyric: “slurp-slurrrppp” to imitate the signature sound.
• 2000 – From 2000 to 2016, 7-Eleven hosted an informal “7-Election” poll where customers indicated their party preferences by choosing between blue (Democratic) and red (Republican) coffee cups.
• 2002 – 7-Eleven first celebrated 7-Eleven Day. They encouraged customers to visit their local 7-Eleven to enjoy a free beverage as a thank-you to 7-Eleven customers.
• 2003 – 7-Eleven created an edible straw.
• 2007 – Kennewick, Washington, is the Slurpee King of the world! This crown was awarded in the 2007-2008 period because more Slurpees were dispensed at Kennewick than anywhere else in the world! With a wall of Slurpee machines, a nearby high school football team could get their fix!
• 2015 – Some of the Slurpee cups were created from waveforms of mating whales. Yes, you did read that correctly! In Australia, 7-Eleven recorded several radio spots for a promotional stunt. Featured screaming soccer fans and whales mating.
• 2016 – 7-Eleven sells more fresh-brewed coffee than anything else — that’s over 1 million cups each day.
• 2018 – 7 Eleven introduced their own canned wine, called Roamer, that is perfect for picnics or beach days.
• 2021 – The convenience store’s iconic drink, the Slurpee, adventured out of this world in 2021 too. Using a balloon launcher, 7-Eleven catapulted a Coca-Cola Slurpee into the stratosphere from a Michigan store in honor of the chain’s 94th birthday.
• 2026 – 7-Eleven customers consume about 14 million Slurpees a month in the US. That averages to about 470,000 slurpees every day.
• Brain Freeze Tips: Brain freeze is inevitable if you drink a frozen beverage too fast. In preparation for the day, we offer a few tips.
  • Put down the drink.
  • Sip from a warmer liquid.
  • If a warmer liquid isn’t available, press your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with your hand.
  • Breathe through your nose. This allows warmer air to circulate through your sinus passages.
  • Return to drinking your Slurpee at a slower pace.
• The most popular slurpee flavors are Coca-Cola and Wild Cherry! There are 34 other flavors sold in America, depending on the store location, including dragon fruit, watermelon, and sour green apple.
• Around the globe, flavors tend to get a bit more adventurous. In Canada, for example, you’ll find bubblegum and cappuccino; Australian options include ginger beer, honeydew melon, watermelon-lime, and fruit salad.
• According to market research, 41 percent of Slurpee drinkers never mix their flavors. However, 37 percent say they always do, while the remaining 21 percent will mix every once in a while. One of the most popular combos is Coke and a fruit flavor on top, like Wild Cherry or Piña Colada.
• Slurpee inspired the frozen margarita. Dallas restaurant owner and inventor of the frozen margarita machine, Mariano Martinez, cited the Slurpee as his original inspiration.
• 7-Eleven created a spoon straw specifically for Slurpees to ensure that every last drop was consumed.
• There Are Nearly Twice as Many 7-Elevens in the World as McDonald’s
• The Slurpee Capital of the World is Winnipeg, Canada. The Canadian province’s capital city of Winnipeg has been the company’s No. 1 market in the world for Slurpee sales for over 20 years, with the greater Detroit area coming in for a strong second place.
• The first television advertisement by 7-Eleven featured its curbside grocery delivery service and an animated rooster and owl that reminded customers of the store’s opening hours.
• The 24-hour shop carries its own private-label wines, ranging from Chardonnay to Pinot Grigio, that are all sold at reasonable prices.
• 34 – the minimum number of Slurpee flavors available across America.
• 168 million slurpees are sold globally every year
• 7 billion slurpees have been consumed since it’s creation.
• 20 – the number of years Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba, has been crowned the Slurpee Capital of the World.
• 188,883 – the number of Slurpees sold every month in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
• 2 minutes – the duration of the song ‘Dance the Slurp.’

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Readers Digest

Delish

Cheapism

Goody Feed

Eat This, Not That

National Today