White Hen Pantry

White Hen Pantry

White Hen Pantry (known as White Hen in the midwest) is a Lombard, Illinois-based chain of approximately 261 predominantly franchisee-owned convenience stores located in the greater Chicago and Boston / New England areas. Most of the stores are open 24 hours and offer an array of standard convenience store fare such as coffees, cappuccinos, frozen and dry goods and toiletries. Many also have full delis serving boxed sandwiches and salads, name-brand meats and cheeses and fresh fruits and vegetables. White Hen's array of services includes catering options and sales of external holiday gift cards. Most stores also have ATM's and provide lottery ticket sales; White Hen is the largest lottery ticket vendor in the state of Illinois.[1]


History

White Hen Pantry was founded and began franchising in 1965.

In 2000 its owner Clark Retail Enterprises, Inc. sold all 55 White Hen Pantry stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire to New England Pantry, Inc. in a 2001 agreement. This deal formed New England Pantry's current status as a sub-franchisor of the White Hen Pantry brand, and its exclusive franchisor in the New England area.[2]

In 2005 and the first part of 2006 White Hen franchises underwent a series of ups and downs.

In the third quarter of 2005 the company planned to increase its store count in the Chicago area by as much as 25 over the course of 2006. While still foreseeing eventual growth, however, the company has changed its immediate plans and will sell 15 of its stores in 2006. One explanation for its revamped course of action stems from its recent push toward serving freshly prepared deli offerings to replace stagnating sales of tobacco and other traditional convenience store wares. In summer 2005, White Hen's push toward deli-fresh offerings was strong in Chicago, where it offered free samples of its private label Pantry Select chips at an August Chicago Cubs baseball game.[3] Its new deli-fresh focus allegedly fails to meet the needs of some of the many demographics to which the store caters, and may be hedging the quick growth for which it had originally planned.[4]


Recent

In line with its focus on deli-fresh goods White Hen opened what it billed as a "store of the future" in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood on April 17, 2006. In addition to offering White Hen's standard fare, this particular venue offers "an expanded line-up of natural and organic foods, fresh Pantry Select green salads . . . and a toasted-to-order Hot & Fresh sandwich program with a state-of-the-art touch screen ordering system."[5]

On August 11, 2006, White Hen Pantry, Inc. was purchased by Seven & I Holdings Co., Japan's No. 1 retailer and operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in the United States.[6] White Hen CEO Brandon Barnholt cited the merger as a great opportunity for the company, its franchisers and its customers. In the near term following the acquisition, White Hen stores will continue to function as they have.[7]

In July 2007, some White Hen stores began to be converted to 7-Eleven stores. Eventually, the White Hen name will disappear from the converted stores, being replaced with the 7-Eleven branding.


External links

Official Website (Chicago Area)

New England Website