Between Black Friday, Green Monday and Red Alert ("Oh my gosh, I’m
out of time!) Christmas Eve, millions of American shoppers realize
their days… and dollars are numbered. Heading into the homestretch,
time is at a premium and every convenience helps.
Enter 7-Eleven. Created 80 years ago as a quick in-and-out
shopping alternative for time-crunched consumers, 7-Eleven stores
provide a convenient place for basics, like milk, bread and yes,
holiday gifts. Some shoppers know that grabbing a few gift items along
with a morning cup of Joe means fewer things to worry about at the end
of the day.
Whether it’s the new DVD of this summer’s blockbuster release,
The Simpsons Movie; a prepaid wireless phone with unlimited nights and
weekends; a plush black teddy bear benefiting St. Jude’s Hospital; a
bottle of California wine and fresh flowers; or one of dozens of gift
cards, 7-Eleven has something on Santa’s list.
Time is not the only thing at a premium this shopping season.
Watching the holiday budget is the number-one item on many lists.
According to one study, almost one-fourth of Americans said they would
spend less on Christmas gifts this year in light of economic worries
about rising fuel prices, interest rates and uncertainty in the housing
industry. As "needs" replace "wants" on wish lists, many are looking at
practical presents like gift cards for gas and groceries.
Here are a few gift ideas available at participating 7-Eleven stores as we head into the last week of holiday shopping:
* The Simpsons. Simpsons Movie, the animated
extravaganza that won rave reviews this summer not only for the actual
film, but also the surrounding promotions, is out in the "St. Nick" of
time. And what better place to buy it than a 7-Eleven, the store that
made the Kwik-E-Mart come alive for Simpsons fans in anticipation of
the much ballyhooed movie premier last July. Suggested retail price is
$21.99.
* Bear Essentials for St. Jude. For three years,
7-Eleven has raised needed funds for St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital by selling a plush, cuddly teddy bear. This year, the bear is
back — black and better than ever. For every bear purchased, 7-Eleven
will make a $3 donation to St. Jude’s to fund ground-breaking research
to help cure catastrophic childhood diseases. The bear comes in black
this year with the green St. Jude logo monogrammed on his paw and a
matching green ribbon around his neck. A great gift all by itself, the
St. Jude bear also can multi-task, serving as a cute gift cardholder.
Suggested retail price is $8.99.
* Fun and Game Cards. Free online games are
the latest virtual craze and while the games are free, the clothes and
accessories to trick out the avatar, or player’s online identity, are
not. 7-Eleven has introduced prepaid Nexon gift cards in $10 and $25
denominations for teens and ‘tweens who play popular games like
MapleStory, Audition and KartRider.
These "Massively Multiplayer Online Games" (MMOGs) are capable
of supporting hundreds of thousands of players simultaneously. Kids can
purchase "items" to make a super-cool avatar styled to the players’
preferences. Gamers can use the prepaid cards to redeem virtual in-game
items and accessories within the Nexon games 7-Eleven is the first
convenience store in the U.S. sell the cards that make the popular game
characters.
* Give Someone a Jingle. Wireless phones
remain at the top of many wish lists, particularly with teens. 7-Eleven
offers two new low-cost phone options through its proprietary the
SpeakOut Wireless Phone program. The plans are aimed at parents, who
want the ability to control costs through the prepaid phone card
arrangement. The newest SpeakOut prepaid plan offers unlimited
nationwide nights and weekends, 200 anytime minutes and 5-cent two-way
text messaging for just $40 per month. In December, the first month is
free when a customer buys a Sanyo 2400 handset or LG 5225 for $49.99. A
$40 airtime card is included with the purchase.
For those who prefer a pay-as-you-go plan, 7-Eleven has
lowered the per-minute rate on its SpeakOut plan to just 15-cents a
minute for nationwide anytime calling and 365-day expiration. For
customers who buy a Nokia 1600 or Motorola C139 handset in December for
$39.99 will get a FREE $10 SpeakOut airtime card. This offer includes
nationwide calling with 365-day expiration. Refill cards in
denominations from $10 to $100 are available.
* Wired and Wireless Accessories Revenues for the mobile
phone accessory market is estimated to be $32 billion in 2007. 7-Eleven
carries some of the most popular items like wireless phone chargers
including a multi-tip packaging model that fits 90 percent of the
current prepaid/postpaid handsets on the market as well as a
three-in-one cross-functional charger (wall, car, and 9-volt emergency
in one format). Chargers are competitively priced at between $9.99
and$14.99. * iWant iPod Accessories. As iPods continue to be the gold
standard of MP3 players, the market for accessories like headphones,
chargers and speakers continues to grow. 7-Eleven carries seven
high-quality accessories for just $9.99, the lowest retail price in the
industry. Items include FM transmitters, foldable speakers, home and
car charger, radio receiver, USB Cable and are compatible with the new
iPhones.
* Getting Carded at 7-Eleven. 7-Eleven has
expanded its gift card selection this year and offers 20 different
cards with something for everyone – online music, game stores,
electronics, department stores, electronics, sporting goods, home
improvements and household stores, as well as restaurants and
entertainment. In denominations from $7.99 to $50, gift cards are
priced for everyone’s budget. The three newest gift cards introduced by
7-Eleven for the holiday gift-giving season are the new "Black"
7-Eleven Gift Card with key fob functionality, Gamestop $25 card and an
iTunes $25 Card.
The 7-Eleven gift card can be used to purchase fuel for the
car, keep someone fueled on coffee and Slurpee drinks, or to refill a
prepaid wireless phone in the coming year. The 7-Eleven gift card has
no hidden fees or expiration date and is reloadable in amounts from $5
to $100.
Also available: American Express in $25 and
$50 denominations, Xbox Live gaming cards in five varieties, from $7.99
to $49.99. Other retailer and restaurant gift cards to choose from are
JCPenney, Lowe’s Home Improvements Stores, Circuit City, Foot Locker,
Bass Pro Shops, Chili’s/Macaroni Grill, TGI Friday, and Applebee’s.
* "Santa Cause" CDs and other Stocking Stuffers and Gifts.
Available exclusively at 7-Eleven, "The Christmas Album" features
all-time Christmas favorites from various artists including All-4-One,
Fourplay, Al Jarreau, Natalie Cole and Vanessa Williams. The 7-Eleven
collection’s other three titles include holiday hymns and carols by
Willie Nelson, Amy Grant as well as "Christmas Classics on Piano." For
every CD sold, a $1 donation will be made to the Feed The Children
organization.
* Wrap it Up. Where there are gifts, there
should be gift wrap. Adding to the convenience of last-minute holiday
shopping, 7-Eleven has stocked gift boxes, bags and tags as well as
small stuffed animals to carry home gift cards with style. Consumers
will spend approximately $1.7 billion purchasing Christmas greeting
cards, more than on cards for any other season. Gift wrap is suitable
for products carried at participating stores: gift cards, wine, CDs,
chocolates, toys and lottery tickets. Postage stamps and two sizes of
bubble-wrap mailers are available for long-distance gift-giving at some
stores.
* Fruit of the Vine. Sonoma Crest Cellars,
7-Eleven’s new proprietary wine, is an award-winning premium-class
vintage perfect for a gift to a neighbor or to take to a holiday party.
Created by a small family-run winery in California’s Sonoma wine
country, Sonoma Crest is now available at participating stores in three
varietals – chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Comparable to a
$15 bottle of wine, the all varieties are priced at $9.99. The Sonoma
Crest merlot was bottled in time to be entered in the Orange County
Commercial Wine Competition in Costa Mesa, Calif. In blind taste tests,
the 7-Eleven merlot received a silver medal in this largest
all-California wine judging event.
For consumers who have their shopping under control, 7-Eleven
stores are open and ready to help out in those unforeseen emergency
situations, batteries not included, digital camera on the fritz,
missing recipe ingredient, or just as an escape from all the family
togetherness.
"As always, most 7-Eleven stores will remain open around the
clock throughout the end-of-the-year holidays," said Alan Beach,
7-Eleven, Inc.’s vice president of merchandisng. "Historically,
Christmas Day is one of the busiest shopping days at 7-Eleven."