Jessica Loder
Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 2:46 AM 5 min read
This story was originally published on C-Store Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily C-Store Dive newsletter.
7-Eleven’s aim to have one of the biggest commercial radio stations in America is close to fruition.
Gulp Radio, the c-store retailer’s partnership with Qsic, an audio-based retail media company, was in more than 4,000 stores as of April, and expectations are for it to be broadcasting in more than 12,000 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes locations by the end of July — well ahead of estimates from when the partnership was first announced.
The new venture is a recent addition to 7-Eleven’s Gulp Media, the c-store industry’s largest retail media network that’s capitalizing on a sprawling network of stores serving millions of customers.
“Recognizing that over 90% of convenience store transactions still occur in-store and since most of the products we sell are impulse purchases, it felt like a natural next step in our store evolution,” said Mario Mijares, vice president of marketing, loyalty and monetization platforms with 7-Eleven Inc. “This meant that in-store media had to be a core component of the Gulp Media offer.”
While there are many pieces to retail media, audio carries a few unique benefits, noted Nick Larkins, co-founder and chief product officer with QSIC.
Audio can blanket an entire store and reach every shopper that steps inside. And the stores can thread in music between the promotions that can enhance the customer experience.
“We have purpose-built [Qsic] for retailers and CPGs to basically engage shoppers at the point of purchase via providing music as experience, but also value-added messaging and advertising,” Larkins said.
While many of 7-Eleven’s stores have had in-store audio for years, adding it to the company’s retail media network began with the Qsic partnership in November 2024, said Mijares.
The partnership leverages smart speakers, which are connected through ethernet cables to a network switch, and then music and ads are automatically piped in.
“We have configured the system so that when those speakers come online, it knows exactly what to do, so you don’t need to sit and program anything on site,” said Larkins. “We’ve just literally made a plug and play.”
“Recognizing that over 90% of convenience store transactions still occur in-store and since most of the products we sell are impulse purchases, [in-store media] felt like a natural next step in our store evolution.”
Mario Mijares
Vice president of marketing, loyalty and monetization platforms with 7-Eleven Inc.
