7-Eleven Wants to Have Its Cake and Eat It Too

7-Eleven has been expanding its 7-Select Go!Smart and Go!Yum premium lines of snacks and treats as it simultaneously seeks to offer more high-quality and better-for-you products. The convenience-store retailer added:popcorn to both lines on April 20. Go!Yum popcorn flavors include sriracha, jalapeno cheddar, bacon ranch and cinnamon sugar while Go!Smart boasts a natural, light popcorn made with extra virgin olive oil and Himalayan pink salt.Go!Yum ice cream on June 1 in seven flavors including "oh thank heaven for chocolate," sea salt caramel truffle, toasted s'mores and vanilla bean.Go!Smart sprouted tortilla chips on June 15 in sweet chili, sriracha and sweet potato flavors. In stores, the popcorn products are merchandised on endcaps outfitted with headers, side panels and shelf signs presenting the SKUs as "Our New & Delicious Best Snacks." Supporting digital activity includes Twitter and Facebook updates plugging the ice cream. 7-Eleven launched Go!Smart this year, continuing efforts to cater to health-conscious, on-the-go consumers and shake its reputation as a purveyor of sugar-filled beverages and fat- and salt-laden snacks. "Customers have told us that they find it difficult to find good food while on the go that can help them find the best nutritional balance," said Laura Gordon, 7-Eleven vice president brand innovation, in a media release. "Their needs change by day, sometimes by hour, and we are committed to bringing them a range of great tasting options that will leave them fully satisfied while on the go. 7-Eleven continues to innovate in the better-for-you arena including snacking and meal options leveraging customer feedback."Meanwhile, Go!Yum delivers more indulgent options. "7-Select Go!Yum introduces an indulgent assortment of savory and sweet snacks, with a level of quality more likely found at a specialty store than in a convenience store," Sean Thompson, 7-Eleven senior director of private brands, said in the release. "Each product is made with premium ingredients curated for imaginative taste combinations and an out-of-the-ordinary sensory experience."By the end of the year, the retailer plans to add another 100 items to its broad 7-Select private label, which currently corrals some 350 products ranging from paper towels and hairbrushes to confectionery and water.