7-Eleven Helps Prepare Customers for Great Eclipse

IRVING, Texas — 7-Eleven is offering special, safe sunglasses that shoppers can use to view the "Great American Eclipse" that will cross the United States on Aug. 21. Available as a single pair or in packs of two, the "Explore Scientific Sun Catcher" solar eclipse glasses are approved for viewing by the American Astronomical Society (AAS).

"An opportunity like this only comes along once in a blue moon," said Tony Stapleton, 7-Eleven senior product director. "People will be buying eclipse glasses right up until the sun starts to pass behind the moon, and we are ready for them with a product that is a great value and assured safe by AAS."

The convenience store chain is one of a handful of U.S. retailers listed on the AAS website as selling glasses with the "ISO 12312-1" seal. This indicates that they meet international safety standards for filters to view the sun directly.

The 70-mile-wide path of the coast-to-coast solar eclipse will cross 2,800 miles and 14 states, from Oregon to South Carolina, in just 90 minutes. Partial eclipses will be visible throughout most of the continental U.S. The last total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. occurred in 1979, and the last eclipse to cross the entire country was nearly a century ago.

7-Eleven is encouraging customers who buy viewing glasses to also purchase the exclusive, shiny, selfie-inducing Chrome Dome Slurpee cup and lid. The metallic dome top is perfect for taking reflective photos to be shared on social media, using the hashtags #7eleven and #solarselfie, the company said.

Based in Irving, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 62,000 stores in 17 countries, including 10,900 in North America.