Dive Brief:
- 7-Eleven is creating a new private brand wine label, called Trojan Horse, which will debut with two white wine varietals, according to Bev Industry. A Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio option will both sell for $6.99 for a standard sized 750ml bottle.
- This new launch will join 7-Eleven’s private label Yosemite Road wine. Trojan Horse differentiates itself from its predecessor by including vintage dates, and using grapes exclusively grown in California.
- "With Trojan Horse, 7-Eleven customers can enjoy higher quality Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio wines at an affordable price,” Dennis Phelps, 7-Eleven vice president of vault, told the beverage publication. “We believe these will be a hit with wine-loving Millennials.”
Dive Insight:
7-Eleven was once the convenience store you would pull into during a road trip for gas, a Slurpee and bag of chips. You can still get all of those things at the convenience store today, but now consumers also can add a bottle moderately priced wine to the basket. The new products show the convenience store chain is trying to shed its old-school image with a few higher, more upscale items it hopes visitors will be tempted to grab when stopping in.
The addition of Trojan Horse private label wine to 7-Eleven’s offerings further blends the lines between convenience store and grocery store. As the smaller retailer expands inventory, consumers can now do more of their traditional super market shopping there. One area where large markets used to dominate their c-store counterpart was in the wine aisle. Now, 7-Eleven is making inroads in that area, too.
The introduction of a more economically priced wine that still has some of the premium gravitas, like a vintage year and California-grown grapes, could further solidify that halo. The c-store will likely never become synonymous with an upscale grocery store, but its certainly moving away from its old image as a junk food stop.
Competitors Sheetz, Wawa and Cumberland Farms have been branching out with more premium options in the form of fresh foodservice offerings. Forget grabbing smokes, cokes and candy. These stores offer options including fresh cut fruit, yogurt parfaits and sandwiches made to order.
Consumers are increasingly finding their more traditional food and beverage needs met by these upgraded convenience stores. It’s now up to super markets to give shoppers a reason to skip the Quick Stop and return to back to their store.
Consumers have been more inclined to buy wine from their neighborhood 7-Eleven since the company started selling some higher-end brands, such as La Crema and Wild Horse. Stores in more affluent areas noted an increase in sales after these 90 points varietals went up on store shelves, perhaps hinting at the beginning of a premium halo for the 7-Eleven brand. The c-store operator hopes its new private-label wines will give shoppers another reason to stop in.
The company is not the only one succeeding with its private-label wines. An $8 bottle of rosé sold at Adli has been cited as one of the world's best wines for value. The retailer has prided itself on high quality products that don't cost much, including a wine section that can be enjoyed by many.
Over time, as more consumers buy their wine at places such as Aldi and 7-Eleven, wine enthusiasts may no longer believe the only place to get great drink is at a traditional wine store.