Global own-wine launch for convenience chain

US convenience chain 7-eleven has launched its own range of wine in a bid to attract more customers to its stores in the US and Japan.

Under the label of Yosemite Road, the Californian wines will come in Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties and will each cost US$3.99/Yen 598 a bottle. The wines are are being produced exclusively for 7-Eleven stores and its parent company Seven & i Holdings of Tokyo. 

7-eleven Inc (SEI) and Seven-Eleven Japan (SEJ), said that after searching the most frequently purchased products in their stores, “Value-priced wines, those under $5, have been gaining in popularity and enjoying double-digit sales growth at 7-eleven stores as consumers continue to search for value in their purchasing decisions.”

Kevin Elliott, 7-eleven senior vice president of merchandising and logistics, said: “The development and production of Yosemite Road wines was a global team effort and is just the beginning.

By using our collective purchasing power to negotiate product exclusivity and pricing, we can meet customer demand for quality and value, as well as differentiate our brand from the competition.”

Targeting its full range of global consumers, the limited-edition label of Yosemite Road will be made available in the 15,000 stores under the companies’ names.

In Japan this includes retail outlets that are all subsidiaries of Seven & i Holdings, including supermarkets Ito-Yokado and York Benimaru, Shell Garden upmarket grocery stores as well as Seibu and Sogo department stores.

Yosemite Road is being produced by the The Wine Group, the world’s third largest wine producer, courtesy of winemakers John Willumson and Jim McDonald.

Seven & i Holdings is a $57.6 billion corporation with annual wines sales of $127 million while SEI’s yearly wine sales are $46 million.

Jane Parkinson, 09.11.2009