Add 7-Eleven Inc. to the growing number of fuel marketers that have introduced
subscription services to lock in business.

For $5.95 per month, the 7NOW app gets upgraded to 7NOW Gold Pass, a
subscription delivery service that waives delivery fees on more than 3,000
7-Eleven products, including fresh food, drinks and groceries. The products
typically are delivered within 30 minutes, 7-Eleven said in a recent
announcement.

7NOW Gold Pass is similar to the subscription services that grocers Albertsons
and Harris Teeter introduced last year. For an annual $99 fee, the Harris
Teeter ExpressLane program provides subscribers with free delivery, double fuel
rewards points, as well as delivery within two hours for orders of at least
$35. Customers can join Albertsons' FreshPass for $99 per year or $12.99 per
month. Members get free unlimited delivery for online grocery orders of more
than $300, as well as a $5 promotional credit and other perks.

Research firm NPD said subscriptions were already on the rise before the
COVID-19 pandemic, growing about 17% per year for the previous five years, but
COVID-19 accelerated that growth. Subscription services helped stabilize and
increase business, with about 23% of subscription-based enterprises reporting
growth in subscribers and more than half experiencing no losses during the
crisis, the firm reported.

7-Eleven said the 7NOW Gold Pass pays for itself in about three delivery orders
per month and that there are other perks. Subscribers with a transaction
subtotaling at least $10 can choose a free product such as a small Slurpee.
Members of the 7Rewards loyalty program -- who earn and redeem rewards on most
purchases -- get double rewards when they order delivery with the 7NOW Gold
Pass. The Gold Pass offers a free trial for the first 14 days, the company
said.

"Our 7NOW Gold Pass subscription delivery service brings convenience to a whole
new level, giving our customers the ability to order what they want, when they
want it -- and now as often as they want without an added delivery fee," said
Raghu Mahadevan, 7-Eleven senior vice president and chief digital officer, in
the announcement.

7-Eleven said it launched delivery in 2018 through 7NOW. All items available
for order through the 7NOW app will be available through the 7NOW Gold Pass
service throughout the U.S. Customers can track orders in real time. The 7NOW
app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play, or by visiting
7NOW.com.

Since the onset of the pandemic, convenience-fuel marketers have debuted a
variety of subscription programs:

--Southeast fuel marketer RaceTrac in 2020 introduced its RaceTrac Rewards VIP
program, allowing VIP members to pay $2.49 per month to save 10cts/gal on the
first 40 gal purchased (3cts/gal thereafter) during the month. The company also
has a free rewards program promoting repeat business.

--BP last year rolled out a price match subscription service for members of its
loyalty club. For 99cts/month BPme Rewards will automatically reward members
with discounts to match a lower price at a nearby competing gas station.

--In 2021, Circle K launched the Sip & Save subscription program giving
subscribers one beverage every day for $5.99/month. Circle K, one of the
nation's largest car wash chains, also has been piloting car wash
subscriptions.

Borrowing a page from c-stores' playbook, publicly held electric vehicle
charging network EVgo last year introduced its EVgo Rewards loyalty program,
OPIS reported. Under the program, EV drivers can earn five points for every
dollar spent on charging sessions with EVgo and have more opportunities to earn
points toward free charging sessions. A new EVgo Plus subscription program took
effect nationally in September. EVgo said the EVgo Plus subscription plan
provides discounted rates and other benefits for heavy users.

--Reporting by Donna Harris, dharris@opisnet.com; Editing by Barbara Chuck,
bchuck@opisnet.com




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