“NY’s Convenience Store Battle: 7-Eleven or Stewart’s Shops?”

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If you’re a New Yorker, you have undoubtedly shopped in a 7-Eleven or a Stewart’s Shop. Not just once or twice but probably hundreds of times. Of course, depending on where you live in New York increases your chances of which one of these you have visited the most in your life. If you are on Long Island, it’s undoubtedly 7-Eleven. I’ve never seen a Stewart’s Shop on Long Island. Of course, if you’re from upstate New York, for the most part, it’s probably a Stewart’s Shop. However, I have seen some 7-Elevens upstate. If you’re a college student who goes to school upstate or the parents of a college student who goes to school upstate and lives in Long Island, well, then you have shopped multiple times, maybe hundreds of times, at both stores.

So the question here is simple. If you have shopped in both stores multiple times which one is your favorite? Is there a clear choice or are they comparable? Let’s break it down.

Locations and Stores

If you are a Long Islander, you are probably aware that there seems to be a 7-Eleven within a mile of any location you are standing in. Sometimes, there’ll be a couple within that mile. Are all 7-Elevens the same? Well, they’re supposed to be, but they are not. It all depends on who owns it and who works there. Some are cleaner than others. Some are more efficiently run than others. Yet they are all supposed to have the same brands. 7-Eleven is a tightly run organization with very little creativity for its owners. I know firsthand because I worked in one.

7-Elevens are not just based in New York. The convenience store has locations all across the United States, with stores in thirty states. That makes me feel good. If I am in Utah and I see a 7-Eleven, it’s going to make me feel like I’m home. However, if you’re a world traveler, you can still get the taste of that 7-Eleven coffee in countries like Thailand, South Korea, China, Japan, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, India, and many more countries. It’s a worldwide company.  

In the United States, California is home to the largest number of 7-Elevens with close to two thousand. In New York, there are close to six hundred. Stewart’s shops do not come close to that at all.

Stewart’s Shops is based in New York and Vermont, with only about 350 locations between the two states. Nationwide, Stewart’s Shops is not 7-Eleven’s main competition. Couche-Trad, Circle K, and Speedway convenience shops compete against 7-Eleven across the entire United States, although 7-Eleven has more locations than each of them.

From an economic point of view, the size of the company behind 7-Eleven towers over Stewart’s Shops. The sheer volume of 7-Eleven stores undoubtedly gives them strong buying power. But does that make them a better store for shopping in New York? In the end, it comes down to the experience of walking into each store and what we like better about each one.

7-Eleven vs Stewart’s Shops: The Battle Begins

Cleanliness

This is a hard one to argue because every story is unique based on the personnel working in the store. You really can’t compare cleanliness because it comes down to individual stores so for this category we’re going to call it even.

No Score

Coffee

While some people may believe that coffee is one of the most purchased items in convenience stores, it really is not. The most purchased items in convenience stores are tobacco products. Since stores like Walgreens and CVS stopped selling tobacco products, the only places to buy cigarettes are gas stations, tobacco stores, or convenience stores, which are pretty high on the list. Next to tobacco products are also beer sales. Nonetheless, when we go to a 7-Eleven or Stewart’s Shop, one of the reasons we always go is usually to get a cup of coffee.

I have always loved 7-Eleven coffee. However, since they made the change to those big urns, you just never know if you’re going to get a fresh cup or not. Of course, it depends on what time of the day you’re going. If you’re going to get a cup of coffee in the morning at 7-Eleven, the chances are it’s going to be fresh. If you’re going at 5:00 pm, well, it’s 50/50. However, in Stewart’s, most shops still use glass carafes. These hold much smaller amounts of coffee and so they have to be brewed more often. There’s always something special about pouring coffee out of a glass carafe as opposed to those big urns. As much as I love 7-Eleven coffee, I think Stewart’s is better.

Score for Coffee

Stewart’s Shops – 9

7-Eleven – 8

Snacks

Both 7-Eleven and Stewart’s carry a wide range of snacks, such as potato chips, pretzels, and more. However, Stewart’s Shops tend to carry a bit more variety, including more grocery items that can be used as snacks. Most Stewart’s Shops are larger than 7-Elevens, which is largely due to location differences, as real estate is much cheaper in Upstate New York compared to denser areas like Long Island. So, in comparing New York 7-Elevens and Stewart’s Shops, the larger size and ability to showcase more snacks give Stewart’s Shops the edge.

Score for Snacks

Stewart’s Shops – 9

7-Eleven – 8

Ice Cream