7-Eleven Steps Up its Mobile Order and Delivery Options

It wasn’t so long ago when we heard that 7-Eleven was starting to engage in drone delivery systems, but only in one place. Sadly, that program doesn’t seem to be getting expanded any, but 7-Eleven is stepping up its delivery options in general. In fact, the mobile app is adding delivery options of its own to 10 stores in and around Dallas, Texas.

The good news here is that it’s not just Dallas, at least, over the fairly near term. 2018 looks to be 7-Eleven’s year to go into delivery options as the program will expand throughout several other locations in the United States in 2018. Of course, how many locations we’re talking about is unclear.

For those who can get in on the action, meanwhile, shoppers will be able to place orders for food and drink, among other things, and either have them ready for pickup in stores or have them delivered outright. 7-Eleven actually considers this a good arrangement, allowing them to take on more business in more places by just expanding a delivery radius rather than building new stores outright.

One of those “other things”, meanwhile, is a makeup line known as Simply Me Beauty, a budget line of cosmetics that’s geared toward the millennial market. That makes it possible for those young female professionals on a budget to not only slam down a microwave burrito and a Slurpee, but fix their makeup while they’re at it all on one lunch hour. That’s a novel proposition for those who enjoy that sort of thing, and may well pull 7-Eleven some new business from unexpected directions.

In fact, if the drone delivery concept ever takes off—no pun intended—this is the kind of thing we’ll likely hear more of. No more needing to build physical stores; just load a drone, send it flying, drop off the goods and the job is done. Everyone’s got their own 7-Eleven—or anywhere else, really—branch right in their pants pocket with a smartphone or on their desktop. Mobile payments, meanwhile, covers the bill and mobile delivery takes care of the rest.

I admit to looking forward to such a world, where the best of surrounding cities and towns is available from a few button presses. 7-Eleven may be just the start.