Facts: 7-Eleven

7-Eleven was the first convenience store to have television
advertising. The animated commercial ran in 1949 and had a
singing rooster and owl.

Hours of Operation

Way back in 1927, an employee of the Southland Ice Company
in Dallas, Texas, starting selling such grocery items as
eggs, milk and bread, from the company’s ice dock. In less
time than it takes to say 7-11, the convenience store was
born, and named for the hours it was open: 7a.m. to 11p.m.
When its "convenience" was noted, the idea took off and
competitors sprung up by the dozens. But 7-11 forged on,
extending their actual hours to 24 a day, but keeping the
original name.

They were the first outlet of their kind to operate around
the clock, sell fresh coffee in disposable cups, provide
self-serve soda bars, offer all major brands of soft drinks,
and serve extra large drinks. To promote all this, they also
became the first convenience store to advertise, producing
an ad for television in 1949 that featured an animated
rooster and crow, symbolic of when they were open.

Their 5800 stores in the U.S. and Canada, and a total of
25,000 worldwide, make them the largest retail convenience
stores in the world.

Out of all American retailers, 7-11 sells more cold beer,
cold bottles of water, cold Gatorade, fresh-grilled hot
dogs, single servings of chips, Sports Illustrated
magazines, USA Today newspapers and money orders.

The most Slurpees are downed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
(a notoriously cold place in winter) and Detroit, Michigan
(almost as cold); coffee is chugged down in record gallons
in Long Island, N.Y; Big Gulps disappear by the gallon in
Las Vegas and Utah; hot dogs are scarfed more in Washington,
D.C. than anywhere else, and nachos are the nosh of choice
in Colorado.