Today, let’s take a closer look at the convenience store, 7-Eleven, and its unique history.
7-Eleven’s story began in Dallas, Texas when several different ice companies came together in 1927 to form one big company, the Southland Ice Company. This company specialized in selling blocks of ice to people in order to keep their food cold at home. Before 1930 in the United States, less than 8% of homes had a refrigerator, so selling blocks of ice was a very important business. Some of the Southland Ice Company’s stores also started selling food, and this idea became quite popular. The company had some difficult financial times during the 1930’s, and eventually, they decided to focus on selling only food and drinks, especially when alcohol became legal again in 1933. From 1920-1933, alcohol was illegal in the United States, and this period is known as Prohibition.
These two women are loading blocks of ice onto an ice truck in the United States. This was the first product ever sold at 7-Eleven!
Business started to get better for the company after World War II, and eventually, they changed the name of the stores to 7-Eleven to highlight their extended hours (7AM-11PM / 7 days a week). In the 1950’s, 7-Eleven convenience stores started popping up on both the East Coast and the West Coast of the United States, and some of these stores started staying open 24 hours a day. In 1974, the first Japanese 7-Eleven opened in Tokyo, and since then, the number of stores has grown rapidly all over the country. Now, there are 21,143 stores in Japan, compared to only 9,428 in the United States. Also, there are 7-Eleven locations in all 47 prefectures of Japan, but there are only 38 out of 50 states in the US which have a 7-Eleven. Worldwide, there are now over 71,000 7-Eleven stores in 17 different countries!
This is the first 7-Eleven in Japan, which is located in the Toyosu ward of Tokyo.
Although most people love 7-Eleven in Japan, we think of the store differently in the United States. For example, because there is more crime in America and 7-Eleven is open 24 hours a day, there are sometimes robberies at the stores late at night. Therefore, 7-Eleven has had a dangerous reputation for many years. Also, many Americans think that the stores are often messy and that the food which is prepared at the stores is not fresh. However, in 2021, the executives at 7-Eleven in the US have been trying hard to change this reputation. They have spent $70 million on making changes to stores and advertising. Please follow this link below to see a new commercial that was made for 7-Eleven by the famous American director Harmony Korine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=903UyiCE_Kk&t=30s
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