7-Eleven Hawaii Targets Grocery Store Customers

 

Fresher, faster, food or less with delivery, is the foundation of grocerant niche success. Now 7-Eleven Hawaii is targeting grocery store customers in a new partnership with Vroom Delivery to ensure SNAP-eligible products can be ordered online without a credit or debit card.  According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, that will be a positive step forward for consumers and it will create incremental competition for legacy grocery stores clinging to SNAP customers to maintain market share.

7-Eleven Hawaii with this new online EBT offering, will empower customers who are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients so they can securely utilize their benefits online, just like they do in-store. That is a good thing and should create a competitive advantage in the C-store pace for 7-Eleven.

So, all 7-Eleven SNAP-eligible products online can be ordered without the need for a credit or debit card for home delivery, pickup and catering orders. Orders that contain a mix of SNAP-eligible and SNAP-ineligible items can still be made using a combination of an EBT card and traditional payment, just like in-store transactions. This program should be rolled out all across the U.S. according to Johnson.

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

Who is Helping you Win? 

Progress does take time, Vroom Delivery and 7-Eleven Hawaii have been working on this program together for well over a year, alongside the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), to ensure all workflows and security measures adhere to FNS regulations. Any retailer on the Vroom platform can now also elect to offer this service to their customers, and several retailers are expected to launch within the coming months. I hope you pay attention as this could help Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients all around the country obtain fresh food fast.

Vroom Delivery CEO John Nelson, stated, “This has been the most time intensive project that we have undertaken as a company in the past two years.” … “We decided to dedicate these resources because we believe that this is a necessary addition to our platform for both retailers and their customers who rely on these programs to purchase their food and groceries. Many food stamp recipients have no access to online, on-demand home delivery options that allow them to utilize their SNAP benefits, and therefore, we are proud to be the first to in this industry to launch this service with our partner, 7-Eleven Hawaii, as well as with our future participating retailers.” 

Danielle Takahashi, assistant category manager at 7-Eleven Hawaii, stated, “We are thrilled to accept online EBT payments for customers who utilize our delivery and pickup services” ... “As a result, the everyday favorites from 7-Eleven Hawaii are now more convenient and accessible than ever for our customers statewide.”

It is important to note that, the online SNAP program is independent of in-store SNAP programs, and as such retailers must apply separately in partnership with an e-commerce platform that has been certified by FNS.

In case you did not know, 7-Eleven Hawaii was formed in 1989 and has 65 locations serving the communities of Oahu, Big Island, Kauai and Maui. Known for its brands such as Slurpee, Big Bite and Big Gulp, 7-Eleven Hawaii has expanded its food and beverage offerings to meet local preferences.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869