The new corner store
7-Eleven pins San Antonio for new service that delivers virtually anywhere
In an effort to keep up with delivery apps like Postmates, goPuff, and the H-E-B-owned Favor, 7-Eleven stores are rolling out an innovative new service that allows San Antonio customers to get just about anything delivered almost anywhere.
On June 24, the Dallas-based company announced the latest feature to its 7NOW delivery app — a series of locations called 7NOW Pins. The virtual hot spots allow customers to receive deliveries at places without a traditional address, like parks, beaches, and sports fields, according to a release.
The convenience store giant launched the 7NOW app in its home city in late 2017. Now the service is available in 27 metropolitan areas, including San Antonio.
"Sometimes things can get inconvenient away from home. It could be running out of ice and charcoal at a picnic or a hungry Little League team demanding pizza and Slurpee drinks after a big game," said 7-Eleven vice president of delivery Raghu Mahadevan via release. "We continuously challenge ourselves to find even more ways to offer convenience and value to our customers — when and where people need it most.”
To order, shoppers need only open the app, which automatically zeroes in on their current location to show the nearest pin. Once the items are selected, couriers pick up the order at a nearby store and deliver to the target point, usually within 30 minutes or less.
The goods available cover anything that can be found in a 7-Eleven store, including snacks, sodas, cosmetics, home goods, and over-the-counter medications. Beer and wine delivery is available in markets where allowed, including San Antonio.
Although a $1.99 delivery fee is applied to orders under $15, there is no minimum. The first three delivery fees are also waived for new customer within 30 days of the first order. The app also offers real-time tracking to let customers know when they can expect their Cool Ranch Doritos.
Though the introduction of 7NOW Pins may mean that customers never have to set foot in a physical store, 7-Eleven is hardly abandoning its core business model. In March, the company debuted a test concept in Dallas that included made-to-order coffee, wine and beer on tap, and an outpost of fast casual chain Laredo Taco Co.
