7-Eleven Adds Organic, Cold-Pressed Juices

7-Eleven^® stores are carrying a new line of proprietary juices that rival those prepared fresh in free-standing, high-end juice bars. The new organic, cold-pressed juices are part of the retailer’s 7-Select GO!Smart private brand line of premium better-for-you snacks and beverages.

The 7-Select GO!Smart juices come in four varieties: Clean & Green – Kale, cucumber, apple, spinach, mint, celery, lime, parsley; Tropical Glow™ – Pineapple, orange, banana, apple, mango, passionfruit, coconut water; Berry & Bright™ – Tart cherry, carrot, blackberry, pomegranate, bilberry, cranberry, acai; Restoration Red™ – Tomato, tart cherry, beet, strawberry, apple, lime.

Each variety is USDA-certified organic, made from whole fruits and vegetables. A special promotional retail price for the launch is two for $4 at participating stores for a limited time. The everyday suggested retail price is $2.99 for a 14-ounce bottle, less than the cost of premium national brand juices. The juices will be sold chilled in the refrigerated section.

“When you compare this new line of 7-Select GO!Smart cold-pressed juices head-to-head with nationally recognized premium juice brands, well, there is no comparison,” said Tim Cogil, 7-Eleven director of new product development. “Ours are organic and cold-pressed, without additives and not from concentrate. Typically, this level of quality is only found at juice and smoothie restaurants.”

While some independent juice bars and premium juice companies can boast their juices are organic or cold-pressed, most can’t make both claims. 7-Eleven can make them … and several more. The new line of premium 7-Select GO!Smart juices are: USDA-certified organic; cold-pressed certified fair trade; Non-GMO Project verified; 100 percent fruit juice blend or vegetable and fruit juice blend; gluten-free; vegan; no additives; not from concentrate; fewer calories; no added sugar; glass bottle, not plastic and shelf-stable.

In addition to complete nutritional information, the back of the bottle includes a fruit-to-vegetable taste meter for each flavor and even how much of each individual ingredient it takes to make one 14-ounce bottle. For instance, one bottle of Clean & Green contains 25 kale leaves, one parsley bunch, 12 celery stalks, three cucumbers, two green apples, 13 mint leaves, 15 spinach leaves and one lime.

Cold-pressed juices are made using a hydraulic press to extract juice from fruits and vegetables.

While overall juice sales increased more than 4 percent over last year, sales of super premium juices rose at double the rate as people look for healthier and more nutritionally dense beverages. For many, particularly millennial females, premium juices offer an easy way to boost consumption of fruits and vegetables.

7-Eleven also offers a line of organic juices (orange, apple, cranberry blend, lemonade and more) sold under the 7-Select brand.

To satisfy consumer requests for variety in both indulgent and better-for-you products, 7-Eleven added the 7-Select GO!Smart and 7-Select GO!Yum™ premium lines to its 7-Select^® assortment in 2015.

7-Select GO!Smart items are designed with nutritional balance as a priority for those looking for better-tasting, better-for-you options while on the go. Many are gluten-free, GMO-free and use organic sweeteners like agave and brown rice syrups, which have a lower glycemic index. All have nutritional information prominently posted on packaging to help consumers make the best choice for themselves.

7-Select GO!Yum products include 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. Each product is made with premium ingredients, curated for imaginative taste combinations and an out-of-the-ordinary sensory experience.

“Whenever the private brand team creates a new item, our goal is to use only the highest quality ingredients and unique flavor combinations you can’t find anywhere else,” Cogil said. “We want customers to love it so much that they come back to 7-Eleven because they can’t find anything like it anywhere else. Our private brands set us apart from the competition.”

Today, the 7-Select private brand product lineup includes hundreds of items across all categories.