7-Eleven promotes 7Now delivery with free pizza

Pizza can ease pandemic stress — that’s 7-Eleven’s philosophy, at least, and part of the thinking behind a new campaign to promote its 7Now delivery app.

Here’s what’s happening, according to the Dallas-based convenience store chain: 7-Eleven is offering a free whole pizza, when ordered through the 7Now delivery app in participating markets, “to help loyal sports fans cheer on their teams and properly homegate” while watching football or other sports.

The one-day-only free pizza offer goes live in the delivery app Sunday, Oct. 4, and is available for delivery or pickup. First-time 7Now customers can use promo code SCORE50 to unlock $50 in delivery credit.

"The only thing better than hot pizza is free hot pizza, and even better than that is free hot pizza delivered directly to your door within 30 minutes," said Raghu Mahadevan, the chain’s VP of digital and head of delivery.

Customers can order their pizzas while supplies last for delivery, or pay and order ahead for in-store pickup. Available in cheese, pepperoni and extreme meat varieties, the oven-baked pizzas can be purchased with cut fruit, fresh-made green salads, and bone-in and boneless wings. In participating markets, customers over the age of 21 can also pair their pie with beer or wine.

Now offered in approximately 1,300 cities, the 7Now delivery app gives more than 60 million households in the United States access to thousands of items they may need or crave during the pandemic. Products include fresh and hot foods, household items, groceries, pantry needs, over-the-counter medicine, snacks, sweet treats, and more. 7Now orders are delivered in about 30 minutes; however, demand may impact delivery times. Customers can specify "contactless delivery" when ordering.

The ongoing football season — one that must be enjoyed in most cases from home instead of bars and stadiums, given pandemic restrictions — could provide further growth for all types of delivery services, not just the one offered by 7-Eleven.

A reflection of that trend came recently from Postmates.

In September, the San Francisco based-company, about to be bought by Uber, also based in that city, became the official on-demand food delivery partner of the NFL. That marked is the first time the league has inked a sponsorship contract with such a service. Postmates and its rivals are enjoying massive growth during the pandemic, and there's little doubt that their services will be called upon often by fans over the next few months of scheduled regular-season games, plus the playoffs.