7-Eleven Expanding In-Store Radio Network to All U.S. Stores
7-Eleven will expand Gulp Radio, the retailer’s in-store radio network, to 5,000 stores across the U.S. by the end of 2024 and to more than 12,000 stores by the end of 2025, including all 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores nationwide.
Gulp Radio, currently in more than 4,000 stores, offers marketers the opportunity to influence shoppers at the point of purchase by deploying advertising and messaging via in-store audio. Once fully deployed at scale, Gulp Radio will be one of North America’s largest commercial radio networks, reaching the retailer’s 13 million daily shoppers, according to a media release.
The network’s expansion is the result of an extended partnership with audio retail media platform Qsic, which has helped 7-Eleven quickly develop and bring audio messaging to market. The retailer uses Qsic’s AI-powered creative audio development to generate localized audio advertisements that reach target audiences during peak times as well as first-party data to measure the impact and determine revenue lift. On average, 7-Eleven stores with Gulp Radio network (or programming or broadcasting) have experienced a 5%-9% overall sales lift, according to the release.
“Audio is the easiest and most cost-effective way to influence consumer behavior within the convenience store environment,” said Mario Mijares, vice president of marketing, insights, loyalty and monetization platforms at 7-Eleven. “Qsic’s audio platform authentically connects with in-store customers to immediately drive measurable results for our brand partners. Qsic has already proven its value in our stores, we’re excited to extend our partnership with them throughout the U.S.”
About 85% of all retail media transactions are in-store, yet most retailers need help to ensure their in-store advertisements “hit the mark” and influence over-the-counter sale, according to the partners who referenced data from the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) measurement, addressability and data center’s “Digital Out of Home (DOOH) & In-Store Retail Media Playbook 2024.” With its proprietary technology, Qsic says it surpasses IAB standards by dynamically adjusting audio volume based on ambient noise levels to ensure each ad is heard clearly. Qsic's system also timestamps each ad.
“Gulp Radio network has already driven significant results for advertisers by optimizing in-store assets to influence shoppers at the point of purchase,” Matt Elsley, co-founder and CEO at Qsic, said in the release. “In-store retail media presents a huge opportunity for brands to drive more conversions, and 7-Eleven and Gulp Radio are at the forefront.”
Gulp Radio is part of 7-Eleven’s retail media business, Gulp Media Network, which launched in October 2022. The network leverages 7-Eleven’s customer purchase and behavioral data, derived from its 95 million loyalty members. Gulp Media Network is a closed-loop solution that deploys advertising and messaging through social, display, gas pump TV’s, connected TV ads and customer relationship management throughout 7-Eleven’s more than 12,000 stores across the U.S.