New protein bar meets a growing need for healthy convenience
The world’s leading chain of convenience stores 7-Eleven has long recognised the increasing health awareness of its customers. Now, in Denmark, 7-Eleven is extending its range of healthy food products with a protein bar developed by Arla Foods Ingredients.
Marketed under 7-Eleven’s own label, the protein bar joins the nutritious salads, sandwiches and chicken skewers already on the shelves in the 55 Danish stores.
"People are eating out more, often when they are on the go, and there is a clear focus on health," says category manager for 7-Eleven Denmark, Henrik Ludvig. "The protein bar helps us satisfy this need."

Joint project
The product launch is the result of close cooperation between Arla Foods Ingredients and 7-Eleven. While Arla Foods Ingredients has developed the protein bar itself, 7-Eleven has used its retail knowledge to design the packaging and the marketing campaign that will promote the product in the stores.
"We are very interested in developing our own products as it enables us to differentiate ourselves on the market. So this is an exciting project for us and a good way to make our confectionery a little healthier," says Henrik Ludvig.
The decision to launch an own label protein bar builds on the success of a branded product stocked by 7-Eleven over the past 18 months. Despite having a slightly higher price than standard chocolate bars, the branded protein bar accounts for a relatively high proportion of total chocolate bar sales.

Deliciously healthy
Arla Foods Ingredients’ optimised protein compound, comprising caseinate and whey protein concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate, represents just over 25% of the new 7-Eleven bar’s overall content. Fortified with calcium and fibre and low in fat, the chocolate-coated bar has a delicious chocolate caramel taste, as Henrik Ludvig confirms:
"The idea is that consumers can choose this instead of a chocolate bar. Their pleasure on eating it should be the same."
Working with Arla Foods is not new to 7-Eleven. In the Danish stores, consumers can buy Café Coolers in two flavour variants the result of a previous development project with the dairy company. The Café Coolers are today also available from
7-Eleven outlets in Sweden.
"If the new protein bar is a success, it is quite possible that we will export the product to other 7-Eleven markets or perhaps develop more flavour variants or even a drink to go with it," Henrik Ludvig says.
But first things first. Once the in-store marketing campaign is underway, 7-Eleven will closely follow the consumer response to the new protein bar. Expectations are high.

About 7-Eleven
More than 27,900 stores worldwide make 7-Eleven an absolute leader in convenience retailing. Founded at the Southland Ice Company in Texas, US, in 1927, the company pioneered the convenience store concept when it started selling milk, bread and eggs outside normal shop opening hours. Today most stores are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.