7-Eleven Expands On-Demand Delivery to Texas

AUSTIN, Texas — 7-Eleven Inc. has brought its on-demand delivery service to area convenience stores, just days after launching in San Francisco.

The service is part of the retail chain's partnership with Postmates, a San Francisco-based tech and logistics company that operates a network of couriers. 

Thirty-six participating stores in Austin offer an assortment of 7-Eleven's products from hot foods and snacks to cold beverages and other convenience items.

A user downloads the Postmates app then scrolls through the list of retailers to select products they want to order. Postmates coordinates the delivery from the most convenient outlet and nearby courier to fulfill the customer's order within an hour.

The partnership with Postmates is 7-Eleven's first official venture into the on-demand economy and plays a role in the company's omnichannel strategy to provide time-pressed customers solutions to their everyday needs, according to the retailer.         

"Through our partnership with Postmates, 7-Eleven's reach extends beyond our physical stores," said Raja Doddala, 7-Eleven's vice president of innovation and omnichannel strategy. "The program should work well for us because it appeals to our customers who are more on-the-go, connected 24/7 and prefer fast-paced, urban living.

"Plus, we have market concentration in these geographic areas, which makes shopping with us through Postmates even more convenient for customers," said Doddala, adding that "Postmates has figured out how to keep the Slurpee drinks cold and the Big Bites hot."

Doddala expects to expand delivery later this year to other areas with a high density of 7-Eleven stores, such as New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.

Dallas-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses nearly 10,500 convenience stores in North America.