DALLAS The 7-Eleven convenience-store chain is introducing a combination of two of its top sellers — coffee and Slurpee frozen drinks — with the debut of the Slurpuccino in its convenience stores.
The latte-flavored Slurpuccino contains no milk. It is caffeinated, fat-free and has only 61 calories per 8-ounce serving, 7-Eleven said. Prices are similar to those of Slurpee drinks, which range from 99 cents for a 12-ounce cup to $1.69 for 40 ounces.
“Slurpee is a beverage for kids of all ages,” said Jay Wilkins, category manager for Slurpee and Big Gulp fountain drinks. “Slurpuccino capitalizes on the consumer-driven trend of coffee-flavored products and, while it may be more of a grown-up Slurpee, we believe young adults and older teens will enjoy it as well.”
Developed for 7-Eleven stores by The Coca-Cola Co., the Slurpuccino is a new beverage platform with the latte flavor as the first offering. A hazelnut-cappuccino flavor is expected in the fall. The frozen drink targets young adults ages 18 to 34. More than 75 percent of Slurpee drinkers are younger than 34.
“Coffee flavors are hot right now, whether served hot, cold or frozen,” Wilkins said. “We sell millions of Slurpee drinks each month, plus numerous chilled coffee-flavored drinks in the stores’ cold vault. This indicates we have a very receptive customer base for the Slurpuccino drink.”
The convenience store chain recently launched a marketing campaign to promote its fresh-brewed coffee with such taglines as “Our coffee’s fresher than your average joe” and “Guaranteed fresh or we’ll brew it new.” Coffee is the convenience retailer’s No. 1 selling proprietary beverage.
Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. franchises or licenses about 7,500 7-Eleven stores in North America. Globally, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses close to 34,000 stores in 17 nations.