7-Eleven adds Slurpee based on its private brand energy drink
7-Eleven’s latest addition to its Slurpee lineup is cross-promoting its successful private brand energy drink. The new Quake Energy Berry Blast Slurpee borrows its flavor from the Irving, Texas-based convenience retailer’s own brand energy drink Quake, which it launched last June.
The Slurpee, which will be sold at certain 7-Eleven, Stripes and Aplus stores, feature’s Quake’s blend of B vitamins and electrolytes, as well as 69 mg of caffeine, but without much sugar. A 12-oz. serving of the white frozen drink contains 1 g of sugar.
"7-Eleven's recent private brand successes have crossed almost every beverage category from energy and sports drinks to cold-pressed juice, ready-to-drink tea and award-winning wine," said 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto. "When Quake became an instant hit last summer, Slurpee lovers immediately recognized its potential as a Slurpee flavor. Our beverage team has taken that idea and created a great product our Slurpee fans will love."
Energy drink sales, according to Chicago-based research firm IRI, grew annual sales to $13.9 billion last year, with 75% of those sales coming from the convenience channel.
7-Eleven said that its private brand strategy is to create a novel item using high-quality ingredients with unique benefits and flavor combinations that can't be found elsewhere. Though Berry Blast is the only Quake flavor moving into Slurpees, the energy drinks themselves also are available in original, Orange Fusion and Tropical Lemon flavors.
7-Eleven unveiled the new flavor as it touted the size of its store base. The company hit a milestone in its growth, with the store count now standing at 70,000 stores across 17 countries, with the first location in India set to open later this year.
"Over 93 years we've grown from a small local ice house in Oak Cliff, Texas to a global and iconic brand that is 70,000 stores strong," DePinto said. "That strength is due to a relentless focus on meeting the needs of our customers. We'll continue to place our customers at the forefront of all we do."