Saturday July 11 is Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven

This Saturday is 7-Eleven Day, and the day the world’s first convenience retailer celebrates its birthday with free slurpees.  Every year, July 11 marks the day that the world’s No. 1 convenience retailer observes its birthday and other company milestones.

7-Eleven, the first convenience store, originated in 1927 when a Southland Ice Company employee began selling bread, milk and eggs on an ice dock in a Dallas suburb. Since that inauspicious start, “convenience” has become a big business. The small ice company has grown into a major, international retailing chain with 7,800 7-Eleven stores in North America and more than 36,200 stores worldwide that generated $53.7 billion in revenues last year.

“7-Eleven Day also is known as free Slurpee day, because of how popular the beverage giveaway has become,” says Jay Wilkins, brand manager for proprietary cold beverages. “We’ve been serving free Slurpee drinks on July 11 since our 75th birthday in 2002, and it continues to be a hit with customers. What better drink for a month that is typically the hottest of the year? Wilkins added, “But more importantly, we at 7-Eleven get a chance this Saturday to show customers our appreciation for their patronage all year.”

This year promises to be the biggest ever, with 7-Eleven planning to give away close to 5 million free 7.11-ounce Slurpee drinks to celebrate its 82nd birthday at more than 6,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.