Millennials Get their way at 7-Eleven

Millennials continue on a food discovery journey looking for fresh food fast that is ‘better-4-you’ according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Today, Americans spend 87% of there time in-doors. That is the key reason beverages have become a meal replacement and when combined with the ‘halo’ of better-4-you bverages sell according to Johnson.

The newest Slurpee Lite drink is naturally flavored, contains less sugar, is fortified with vitamins B3, B6 and B12, and an 8-ounce serving has just 20 calories. Now we all know Millennials grew up with Slurpee’s and so did most of their parents. The ‘halo’ of better for you will extend the brand too a new generation of children and parents according to Johnson driving new electricity into Slurpee messaging.

On its website, 7-Eleven says of the fiery orange-red Slurpee Lite drink, "vitaminwater spicy watermelon-lime is so fire, it had to be turned into a Slurpee just to cool it down." Inspired by the bottled vitaminwater fire, the Slurpee drink is described as a spicy watermelon-lime flavor with a touch of jalapeno and habanero that sparks a "slight tingling sensation." Glaceau vitaminwater is a 7-Eleven top-selling non-carbonated, flavored water.

Jacob Barnes, 7-Eleven proprietary beverages director stated "After the big splash that vitaminwater Chill Slurpee Lite drink made with Slurpee-lovers, we expect this spicy watermelon-lime vitaminwater fire will be even bigger," "Slurpee Lite has had some of our more unusual and sophisticated flavors, so thirsty customers can cut sugar without sacrificing flavor."

Battle for Share of Stomach 

Recent Grocerant ScoreCards found that 75 percent of U.S. adults are willing to try new foods, with some 80 percent of millennials saying they are looking for bolder taste profiles.  Other reports found that Gen Z'ers aren't quite the flavor risk-takers as the generation before them, they do love the duality of sweet flavors paired with spice, sour or salt. The Slurpee Lite vitaminwater fire drink mirrors established trends in candy, chocolates and frozen treats categories that are bringing the heat with the sweet.

Consumers are dynamic not static how is your brand keeping up with consumer demand for fresh fast food? How are you driving new electricity into your brand?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, plant based  foods,  sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.