Dive Brief:
- 7-Eleven has partnered with Plenty Unlimited, an indoor vertical farming company, to offer customers more fresh produce options in California, the companies announced on Thursday.
- The partnership will put pesticide-free lettuce from vertical farms in Compton, California, into pre-packaged salads at 1,300 of the convenience retailer’s stores across the state.
- 7-Eleven has been improving its food program in myriad ways, including expanding its commissary network in the United States, upgrading its coffee program and expanding private-label options.
Dive Insight:
7-Eleven has been vocal about its pivot toward being more food-forward in the U.S., similar to the way the chain operates in Japan. 7-Eleven President Stan Reynolds noted in the company’s fiscal Q1 earnings call that the chain is expanding its fresh food menu in the U.S. as part of a plan to modernize food and beverage programs across the board.
Those modernization initiatives include an expansion of the chain’s network of Warabeya commissaries. Its most recently opened facility, in Virginia, rolled out a potato, egg and cheese taco and Old Bay chicken sliders earlier this year, with a hamburger steak bento slated to join the lineup in December.
The fresh lettuce program is another way for 7-Eleven to “innovate and introduce new products,” Deanna Hall, senior product director, said in a statement. “Introducing Plenty to our salad offerings in California is just one of the many ways we’re continuing to evolve our fresh food to satisfy customer preferences.”
California is one of 7-Eleven’s largest markets. The company noted in an earnings Q&A in October 2023 that the state has about one-sixth of the chain’s North American stores.
Plenty’s vertical farms grow lettuce and other vegetables in tall, thin planters, using minimal soil and special lighting instead of sunlight. Because the growing happens entirely indoors, the company does not use pesticide and can grow lettuce year-round instead of seasonally, according to the company’s website.
These vertical farms can yield up to 350 times more produce per acre and reduce water usage by up to 90% compared to traditional farming, according to the release. While cutting water used for produce was not part of 7-Eleven’s sustainability plan, the chain did note a commitment to reducing water used in stores.
Marissa Jarratt, chief marketing and sustainability officer at 7-Eleven, said in a statement that the partnership will “not only meet our customers’ expectations for quality but also contribute positively to environmental sustainability at scale.”
Plenty’s lettuce will be used in the California cobb salad and chicken Caesar salad, the announcement noted.
Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 13,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada.