What: two business partnering to offer experience to customers

Why it is important: experiential retail was soaring when the pandemic hit the world and put a stop to any type of gatherings and happenings, even forcing many retailers to close their stores in a bid to slow down the spread of the virus, loosing benefits in the process. Now 7-Eleven is partnering with start-up AirBnb to offer gaming nights to clients, in a way to generate revenue in a critical time and attract new customers.

The partnership will allow for customers, for USD 11, to spend the night at a newest 7-Eleven Evolution Store concept location in Dallas turned into a “gaming palace”. People can  enjoy video games items such as the new PlayStation 5. Other features include unlimited Slurpees (slushies) and a one-hour Twitch streaming session with gamer FaZe Temperrr, founder of the gaming organization FaZe Clan.

For 7-Eleven it is a way to market the opening of its latest concept 7-Eleven Evolution Store in Dallas. Apart from the merchandising and product offering innovations, the evolution relates back to the same points: safe means of payment, queue and customer experience management, integration into local communities.

Giving a gaming focus to the marketing around opening the newest experiential store in an attempt to engage the 79% of people in the U.S. aged 13 and up that identify as gamers. “Everyone knows that the PlayStation 5 console launch has been one of the biggest headlines in the gaming world the past few months," 7-Eleven Chief Marketing Officer Marissa Jarratt said in a statement. Giving fans access to a PlayStation 5 makes 7-Eleven the latest brand to market around the new console to attract new customers.

7-Eleven turns latest experiential store into 'gaming palace' Airbnb