Banner Sales From Y2K Fears?

7-Eleven Sees Opportunity In Consumer Anxieties

By Stephanie Stoughton Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, August 17, 1999; Page E01

Sometime in December, 7-Eleven employees plan to remove the promotional signs for Colombian coffee from stores and replace them with banners that go something like this: Y2K Ready--4U!

Inside, customers will find shelves bulging with extra quantities of bottled water, canned tuna, candles, flashlights, and videos that explain how to prepare for power outages and other emergencies that may or may not erupt when the year 2000 begins.

Virtually alone among major retailers, 7-Eleven Inc. is preparing to cash in on consumers' fears about possible computer failures linked to the beginning of the new century.

"We started out several months ago thinking about the Y2K problem," said James W. Keyes, chief operating officer of 7-Eleven Inc. "We've gone from that to realizing this may be the single biggest opportunity we've ever had. It has gone from a Y2K problem to a Y2K opportunity."

The preparations don't stop with essential consumables, which will be going into the stores beginning in November. In case there is a run on champagne by fin de siecle partyers, the nation's biggest chain of convenience stores will have on hand its own private label of bubbly. And if consumers rush the gas pumps at its stores, the retailer says it will have gasoline tanker trucks, filled to the brim, on standby.

Whether 7-Eleven is remembered as the retailer that boldly cashed in on Y2K fears and revelry--or got stuck with millions of unsold rolls of toilet paper and $6.99 bottles of champagne--has yet to be determined...

(There's more...)

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), August 17, 1999

Answers

Gonna be rough to total up those sales with no power. At least the looters will know which stores to hit first.

Say do you think Milne's famous tag line has anything to do with this? I mean they must have got wind of it at some point.

-- R (riversoma@aol.com), August 17, 1999.

They need to be careful what they ask for they just may get it.

I hope they give Milne a royality!

-- Johnny (JLJTM@BELLSOUTH.NET), August 17, 1999.

"We've gone from that to realizing this may be the single biggest opportunity we've ever had. It has gone from a Y2K problem to a Y2K opportunity."

Well... whatever works... to get people prepared. A win-win situation is workable.

Will more retail chains "get it?" Soon? Just-in-time? Or not?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 17, 1999.

I think this is great news. Somebody call Paul Milne.

This may mean that we city dwellers may only get singed at rollover.

Of course, 7-eleven didn't mention how much they were going to charge for all of that water and tuna.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), August 17, 1999.

Wonder of wonders, I returned from vacation to find that Hannaford Brothers,our Shop n Save store now has a large (4'x4'x15') area which says only, "be prepared". The area offers Dinty Moore in 3 packs, and other foods on pallets.

-- Charlie (cstewart@ime.net), August 17, 1999.

So far, nobody who's gambled on fear has won yet. And several people in csy2k have admitted taking big losses on gold futures. But I agree with Diane, this is a win-win policy provided any of this stuff sells at all.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), August 17, 1999.

will=7-11 accept checks?

-- giggle-time. (dogs@zianet.com), August 17, 1999.

What I wanna know is; are they going to have solar and propane powered toasters in the stores so they can sell "7-11 Y2K Toast" a slice at a time to the hungry masses come post rollover?

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), August 17, 1999.

Most 7-11's are only about 20'x40'. I don't care how full they stack them, they will be empty in an hour or LESS. I would also expect some broken bones and quite a few hold up's. If you WORK for 7-11, you are TOAST. :)

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), August 17, 1999.

Bread, milk and donuts are delivered daily. Water could possibly be restocked at the same time. Ice is from a local supplier who also supplies Racetrack in our area. The plans have not yet been given to the store managers in our area, other than my phone call to my boss this morning. As far as robberies are concerned all stores have in store safes. Of course if power goes out, they will probably have to be drilled in order to get the money out. Should be an interesting holiday season.

-- Clerk@slurpee.com (Nomokat@aol.com), August 17, 1999.