7-Eleven, Hy-Vee Expand Beverage Offerings

DALLAS & WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- New beverages are now appearing in the cold vaults at select 7-Eleven locations and Hy-Vee Food Stores. Both retailers are expanding their drink options, but with different products.

The Pulse Beverage Corp. has entered into a distribution agreement with Hy-Vee Food Stores' specialty food supplier Lomar Distributing Inc. Pulse's Cabana 100% Natural Lemonades will start popping up in Hy-Vee's convenience stores and supermarkets across eight Midwest states this month, according to the supplier.

"Hy-Vee's promotion of healthy lifestyles and strategic position in the Midwest fits perfectly with our vision, our 'good-for-you' beverages and leverages the great traction we are getting in the Midwest with recently announced distribution agreements," stated Pulse Beverage CEO Bob Yates. "It will also represent the first large supermarket chain that our flagship product, Pulse NutriPurpose, will be 'red-carpet' distributed through later this spring."

Meanwhile, participating 7-Eleven stores will be adding Crave, a chocolate milk brand, to their product mix. While the beverage is being made available to all of the retailer's company-operated and franchised stores, it's up to individual franchisees whether they want to carry the product, 7-Eleven said.

Crave is packaged in an aluminum "Frosty Flow" bottle that allows the product to be chilled fast and stay colder longer, according to the creator, Upstate Niagara Cooperative Niagara. The bottle, combined with Upstate Niagara Cooperatives' pasteurization process, makes Crave a shelf-stable dairy product. Stores can keep it at room temperature, the supplier noted.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative -- a cooperative of dairy farmers in western New York State -- is offering a free six-unit fill of Crave to 7-Eleven operators with their first order through McLane. Crave is offered in single-serve, 12-ounce bottles in Original Chocolate and Strawberry Chocolate flavors.