A Conversation with Sean Thompson

A little more than a year ago, Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. named Sean Thompson senior director of merchandising, private brands. In this role, Thompson — who has more than 15 years of merchandising and consumer insights expertise — is responsible for driving “transformational growth” of 7-Eleven’s store brands. Prior to his new role, he served as 7-Eleven’s senior director, center store and — before joining 7-Eleven — in a number of leadership positions with Minneapolis-based Target Corp.

Store Brands asked Thompson to discuss his career, as well as what he sees going on in the store brand industry.

Store Brands: What are the most exciting store brand categories right now, and what makes them so exciting?

Sean Thompson: I think the snacking categories are very exciting. Over 80 percent of our customers come to our stores looking for something to eat or drink, and this is a huge opportunity for 7-Eleven. As people look to make healthier choices, snacking is ripe for innovation. We are working on a variety of platforms that provide our customers great-tasting options while offering functional benefits and short ingredient decks.

Store Brands: What is your all-time favorite store brand product?

Thompson: My favorite item in our stores is the 7-Select GO! Yum Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate. It was designed to offer our customers the type of high-quality item you would find in your local confectionary store, at a great value. The caramel is cooked in small copper kettles for great consistency, and each one is hand-finished, delivering an amazing eating experience. Our marketing team did a great job creating a package that showcases the product quality and really jumps off the shelf. One of our franchisees told me he eats at least one bag a week — what a great compliment!

Store Brands: What is your fondest memory in your career so far?

Thompson: The first major category transition I conducted as a cereal buyer at Target was a great experience. The industry standard for merchandising was to bury the top brands in the middle of the aisle on the bottom shelf, with the premise that customers would hunt for these items and possibly pick up an additional item while looking. There was tons of data to support this approach; however, we thought that in a time-starved environment, this created a horrible shopping experience. We took the reverse approach, putting the top brands on the ends of the aisle at eye level so customers could get exactly what they wanted quickly — and sales in the category exploded.

Store Brands: Who is your greatest hero, and what makes him or her such an inspiration?

Thompson: My dad has always been a hero of mine. He taught me the value of preparation, attention to detail and not settling until you reach the desired outcome. As a teacher, [he poured] a tremendous amount of energy into each of his classes to deliver the best experience possible for his students. While he had high expectations, he encouraged me to chart my own course, [to] learn from mistakes and to embrace change.

Store Brands: How would you sum up your work philosophy?

Thompson: Do great work and have fun doing it.

Store Brands: If you hadn’t gone into retail, what career would you have chosen?

Thompson: I have a strong admiration for human resources. The ability to acquire, develop and retain top talent is critical to delivering outstanding results. I love my current role, and a big part of that is the team we have developed.

“We are working on a variety of platforms that provide our customers great-tasting options while offering functional benefits and short ingredient decks.”