7-Eleven Expands On-Demand Delivery to College Towns

DALLAS — 7-Eleven Inc. continues its strategy to meet consumers' needs on demand.

The Dallas-based retailer formed a new partnership with Tapingo, a mobile commerce application for college campuses, to launch on-demand delivery of 7-Eleven products in the college market. 

Starting Dec. 1, Tapingo users at or near the participating colleges in California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland can order delivery of 7-Eleven products from select, neighboring 7-Eleven stores.

"Tapingo users are largely college students who are digital natives. They are redefining convenience and accustomed to ordering what they want with a few taps on a computer or smartphone. Tapingo's technology helps us build a relationship with this demographic," said Raja Doddala, 7-Eleven's vice president for innovation and ventures.

Focusing on the college market, Tapingo has built relationships with more than 100 colleges. These relationships help broaden the reach of campus dining services to satisfy the needs of students.

"We've seen a tremendous demand from students for late-night eats. Sometimes, you just need a Slurpee and a pizza at 1 a.m.," said Jeff Hardy, Tapingo's chief business officer. "Welcoming 7-Eleven to our rapidly growing partner ecosystem significantly increases our ability to provide students with what they want, when they want it. The 7-Eleven brand is synonymous with convenience, and that's exactly what our community looks to us to provide."

Tapingo users can browse the 7-Eleven store aisles through the app and have their chosen items delivered. 7-Eleven products that particularly appeal to college-age consumers include pizza, chicken wings and other hot foods; and sandwiches that are made fresh and delivered daily. They also like ice cream, energy drinks and the chain's 7-Select branded snacks, according to Doddala. 

"Tapingo is the most affordable and convenient delivery service for colleges. Using the Club Tapingo feature, which also provides exclusive promotions and VIP treatment, Tapingo users pay a $2.99 delivery charge, but no additional service fees," Hardy added.

San Francisco-based Tapingo works with campus dining, foodservice companies and national brands to enhance the student experience by providing advanced, mobile food-ordering, pickup and delivery. The company currently serves 46 markets from Alaska to Florida.