I thought I heard a rumor somewhere that 7-11 stores were planning to make room for Y2K supplies like water and canned food. Was this just a rumor, or did they make a formal announcement? Can anyone add to this?

thanks

-- C. Hill (pinionsmachine@hotmail.com), November 29, 1999

Answers

An admonition..."Don't be within five miles of a 7-11 when Y2K hits."

A better plan would be to stock up at Sam's or Costco. Get out of town!

-- Slobby Don (slobbydon@hotmail.com), November 29, 1999.

ok..thanks for that completely worthless response....now...any factual info out there?

:)

-- C. Hill (pinionsmachine@hotmail.com), November 29, 1999.

pinionsmachine:

Something to that effect was posted here in the last few weeks. In addition, there are people on this forum who can actually find archived material. I am not one of them. One will probably appear soon. You will get a lot of similar answers because of the Paul Milne quote. Actually, I feel pretty good since all of the 7-11's here closed years ago.

Best wishes,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), November 29, 1999.

This URL appears to be dead, but you can probably find it at a decent library:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-08/17/064l-081799-idx .html

Banner Sales From Y2K Fears? 7-Eleven Sees Opportunity In Consumer Anxieties

By Stephanie Stoughton Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, August 17, 1999; Page E01

Sometime in December, 7-Eleven employees plan to remove the promotional signs for Colombian coffee from stores and replace them with banners that go something like this: Y2K Ready--4U!

Inside, customers will find shelves bulging with extra quantities of bottled water, canned tuna, candles, flashlights, and videos that explain how to prepare for power outages and other emergencies that may or may not erupt when the year 2000 begins.

Virtually alone among major retailers, 7-Eleven Inc. is preparing to cash in on consumers' fears about possible computer failures linked to the beginning of the new century.

"We started out several months ago thinking about the Y2K problem," said James W. Keyes, chief operating officer of 7-Eleven Inc. "We've gone from that to realizing this may be the single biggest opportunity we've ever had. It has gone from a Y2K problem to a Y2K opportunity....."

"...Such is the problem of predicting human behavior in December, when the year 2000 phenomenon meets the hectic holiday shopping period, creating the potential for a crush of last-minute buying and possibly the biggest headache ever for the nation's retailers.

"I think it's going to be ugly," said Cathy Hotka, vice president for information technology at the National Retail Federation. "The message we've had for consumers: Please buy some stuff, but buy it now." ...

(I hope Paul Milne appreciates the irony...)

-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

I find that "article" you cut and paste to sound very UNLIKELY. There are several statements in there that NO 7-11 spokesperson would ever dare say in public. If they did, I'd be suprised as hell.

still looking for factual info on this subject....

-- C. Hill (pinionsmachine@hotmail.com), November 29, 1999.

C. Hill,

You asked for info and he gave it to you! It was all over the news a couple months ago that they were planning to do this. Find it yourself or quit being an ungrateful meathead!

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), November 29, 1999.

I wouldn't be caught within scope range of a convenience store when SHTF.

-- Hairy Trigger (gotcha@oneshot.split), November 29, 1999.

Lewis speaks the truth. Saw this myself on CNBC's Squawkbox.

-- Delerious (dale@spicreative.com), November 29, 1999.

I agree that many of the comments are startling. They helped to convince me stop any communtiy organizing efforts.

Since you doubt my ability to tell the truth (knucklehead), try this:

go to the Washington Post archive page:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-adv/archives/front.htm

and paste in this phrase:

BANNER SALES FROM Y2K FEARS

You will see that the article exists, and if you want to pay for a copy, feel free.

And a related story from 11/25:

http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-11/25/201l-112599- idx.html

and do your own research from now on.

-- Lewis (aslanshow@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

Er...and did I mention that someone who shall be nameless [clue: Peter de Jager] has recommended 7-11 as a good source of candles, etc. if you run out on Millennium Night. So they must be stocking up on them, as well as those 'extra cans of Campbell's condensed soup' that Peter seems to think are sufficient Y2K fodder for the masses...:)

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), November 29, 1999.

Dont know if I posted this before, but its worth noting:

I live within 5 miles of FIVE 7-11's.

If the "toast" theory is true then I am "charcoal".

-- hamster (hamster@mycage.com), November 29, 1999.

I did forget to thank him for what sounded like a load of crap....but at least he posted it.

Thanks.....if you will take the time to carefully re-read what I said...

"There are several statements in there that NO 7-11 spokesperson would ever dare say in public. If they did, I'd be suprised as hell." I was simply saying that quotes like ..

"We've gone from that to realizing this may be the single biggest opportunity we've ever had. It has gone from a Y2K problem to a Y2K opportunity....."

sounded like bad PR for a company the size of 7-11....i would never make a public statement like that, even if I was thinking it.

anyway....I do thank you.

-- C. Hill (pinionsmachine@hotmail.com), November 29, 1999.

Hamster, if you live within five miles of five 7-11's, you must live in the middle of one very densely populated area.

I believe Milne's famous tag line is a reference to 7-11"s marketing process which calls for a minimum population of at least 60,000 potential customers within 5 miles of a proposed store location. At least I thinks that's what I read, but it could be higher or lower.

Either way, if it's 60,000 folks within a 5 mile radius of a 7-11, that's a lot of folks in one place. And a lot of potential Y2K problems able to hoof it to your front door.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), November 29, 1999.

Cant find the main thread on it, but 7-11 most definitely did have that article in the WP. Remember the discussions. (Thread not stored under recognizable category).

C. HIll, once youve been here awhile, youll know that Lewis is an eminently reliable researcher.

Diane

Ancillary thread...

7-11 will be there for you

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 001GNB

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.

C.Hill-

What difference does it make? Anyone stupid enough to prep at 7-11 deserves to pay their (in the words of Chowbabe) "hyperinflated" prices. If you're not ready by now, 7-11 ain't gonna make much difference.....

-- (cavscout@home.inmybunker), November 29, 1999.

I was just curious to know if the whole 7-11 rumor was true....that is all.

thanks to Lewis and everyone else who responded!!

-- C. Hill (pinionsmachine@hotmail.com), November 30, 1999.