Dive Brief:
- 7-Eleven plans to expand its Gulp Radio programming to 5,000 U.S. convenience stores by the end of 2024 and over 12,000 by the end of 2025, the company announced on Tuesday.
- Gulp Radio, the in-store audio component of 7-Eleven’s Gulp Media retail media network, is currently live in over 4,000 convenience stores. 7-Eleven works with retail audio provider Qsic on Gulp Radio, which aims to influence shoppers at the point of purchase via audio advertising and messaging, according to the announcement.
- Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven was one of the first convenience retailers to launch its own retail media network back in 2022, and the company continues to evolve its Gulp Media platform with new solutions and types of programming.
Dive Insight:
When 7-Eleven debuted Gulp Media, company leadership said it was in the process of adding in-store media. At the time, the retail media network mainly included third-party advertising through display, social and connected TV ads.
Two years later, in-store media has become a key feature of the program, which offers ads through in-store displays, TV, streaming audio and Gulp Radio.
At the National Retail Federation’s annual trade show earlier this year, Marissa Jarratt, 7-Eleven’s executive vice president and chief marketing and sustainability officer, said Gulp Radio would soon reach the company’s entire North America c-store network and become the largest radio station in the U.S.
7-Eleven reiterated that message in Tuesday’s announcement, emphasizing plans to bring Gulp Radio to over 12,000 7-Eleven, Stripes and Speedway locations. The company said audio has become the “easiest and most cost-effective way to influence consumer behavior.”
"Qsic's audio platform authentically connects with in-store customers to immediately drive measurable results for our brand partners," Mario Mijares, vice president of marketing, insights, loyalty and monetization platforms at 7-Eleven, said in the announcement.
Qsic’s AI-driven technology adjusts audio volume based on ambient noise levels to ensure in-store ads are heard. The technology also timestamps each ad so 7-Eleven can remain within in-store media compliance.
