Co-Packing Solutions - April 2009 - (Page 20) specialties like Publix GreenWise Market Chicken and Molasses Beef Tenderloin, Brous notes. "Our customers have grown to rely on the Publix Deli as a way to enjoy high quality, wholesome foods while saving them time," Brous explains. "Our expansion into the culinary world enhances our customer's experience in the deli by providing additional options of freshly prepared family favorites and the latest in culinary trends, while delivering our level of customer service and our passion for flavor at an affordable price.” 7-Eleven This standard-bearer of the global convenience store industry debuted in Dallas in 1927, when an energetic Southland Ice Company employee began selling milk, bread and eggs when local grocery stores were closed. Originally called Tote’m stores, some of the original outlets displayed replicas of Alaskan totem 20 • Co - PaC k ing S o lUTio nS poles outside. The chain was renamed 7-Eleven in 1946, reflecting the new store hours extending from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. The convenience store chain operated as The Southland Corporation until 1999, when it changed its name to 7-Eleven, Inc. Still based in Dallas, 7-Eleven now operates, franchises or licenses more than 7,600 7-Eleven stores in North America. The company also licensees and affiliates more than 27,000 7-Eleven and other convenience stores in Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea, Thailand, Norway, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong, 7-Eleven’s website says. Each day, more than seven million North American customers shop at 7-Eleven stores for products that have become synonymous with the chain. Among them are Big Gulp® soft drinks, Big Bite® hot dogs, Slurpee® beverages and Café Select® fresh brewed coffee, as well as proprietary deli items and baked goods prepared fresh daily. The convenience store giant took much the same route to international success pursued by McDonald’s in the early years of the fast-food industry. Moehrle attributes 7-Eleven’s ascendancy to the C-store industry throne to shrewd store location and a McDonald’s-like commitment to consistency across its far-flung empire. “They took the lead and held on to it,” Moehrle says. Testa believes innovation was a key ingredient in 7-Eleven’s recipe for success. “They’re innovative when it comes to the C-store concept,” he says. “In the early 1970s, they began introducing self-service gasoline. They continue to innovate in their space. Some of the innovations include the Slurpee, Big Gulps and Super Big Gulps, the first inC-store ATMs and deli sandwiches.” Some recent innovations: the P'EatZZa sandwich, a triangular april 2009 Photos courtesy of 7-Eleven
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