Shoppin' 'Round the Clock Holiday Shopping at 7-Eleven(R): A 24/7 Opportunity DALLAS, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Tick, tick, tick ... as the clock continues to wind down toward the big gift-giving day, holiday shoppers pick up the pace crowding malls and shopping centers. Early retail surveys indicated that holiday shoppers would start earlier than usual this year, but more recent studies estimate that at least one-third of consumers wait till the last minute to mark the final gift off their shopping lists. At participating 7-Eleven(R) stores nationwide, the country's largest convenience retailer is ready, whether for hot items like the Xbox Halo2 video game, just-released DVDs, gift cards or wireless camera phones ... boxed European chocolates or candles for teacher gifts ... a bottle of wine and corkscrew set for the hosts of the neighborhood holiday party ... a portable CD player for your teen's new-found friend ... or soft, snuggly plush toys and fun candy items as stocking stuffers. 7-Eleven non-foods category manager Tom Gerrity thinks customers might give a shout of "Oh Thank Heaven," when they find out just how much holiday shopping they could wrap up at 7-Eleven. "At 7-Eleven, shoppers don't have to fight crowds, they can park close and, since we're open 24 hours a day, shop around the clock. We invite customers to shop while coming in for a morning cup of coffee or making a late-night run for milk," Gerrity said. So what can you find at 7-Eleven? Here's a "Top 11" gift idea list: 1. Gift Cards A one-size-fits-all idea, gift cards are projected to be at the top of millions of shopping lists by the National Retail Federation. 7- Eleven has set up a virtual mini-mall in its stores with a new gift- card center, offering prepaid cards from $10 to $70 to national retailers, restaurants and entertainment providers, including iTunes Music Store, the Internet's number-one music download store, and other entertainment providers and restaurants such as Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, Bennigan's, Steak and Ale, Bonanza, Ponderosa and Utix Golf, Spa and Movie gift tickets; national retailers like Sharper Image, Bass Pro, Foot Locker and FTD.COM(R); as well as America West Airlines, the first airline to offer gift cards. 2. Halo2 Video Game Xbox marks the spot at 7-Eleven, where eager video gamers can purchase the hottest new video game, Halo2. Halo madness hit the gaming world community with the first edition of the game, and its loyal following has impatiently awaited the Halo sequel for almost two years. Suggested retail price is $49.99. 7-Eleven hopes to capture some of that Halo2 fever, inserting buy-one, get-one Slurpee coupons into packages of the first run of 1.7 million games. 3. "Rabbit"-style Corkscrew set, Yellow Tail Australian Wine and Gift Bag One of the best high-end gift values at 7-Eleven this year is the three-piece corkscrew set, comparable to "rabbit-style" corkscrews that retail for much higher at gourmet and specialty shops. Packaged in a gift box, the set retails for $14.99, and is a great gift to pair with a bottle of wine like one of the best-selling imports - Yellow Tail red or white Australian wine - in a holiday gift bag, both also available at 7-Eleven. 4. Speak Out(SM) Camera Phone Sales of camera phones have now surpassed those of digital cameras. A new item for 7-Eleven, the Nokia 3200 camera phone features FM stereo radio, Java games and text messaging. With 20-cents-a-minute rates and one-year expiration date for prepaid airtime, Speak Out, available exclusively at 7-Eleven, is one of the most economical prepaid wireless plans around. 5. AT&T OGO Mobile Messenger Instant messenger, email and text messaging have become the communications tools of choice for millions of Americans, particularly those under 30. The AT&T Ogo mobile messenger was designed for teens and young adults, and is the first low-cost messaging device with unlimited service for a fixed monthly fee. Ogo offers I-M, Email and text messaging all in one. Suggested retail price is $99.99 after a $30 rebate. 6. DVDs They're sequels, but they're not second best. New movie releases at 7-Eleven include Shrek2, Spiderman2 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third in the Harry Potter series. New movie titles are available every week. Nostalgic customers can select holiday classics re-released on DVD like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which marks its 40th anniversary since first appearing on television. 7. St. Jude Bear Cute enough to hug and benefiting the world-renowned St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, the St. Jude's plush teddy bear has been flying out the doors of 7-Eleven stores, thanks in large part to the just-released Thanks & Giving All Year Long children's book by Marlo Thomas, actress and daughter of the late Danny Thomas, who founded St. Jude's. For every $5 bear sold, $1 will be donated to help fund research at St. Jude's. 7-Eleven is the exclusive retailer of the St. Jude bear. 8. Jerky Gift Pack It wouldn't be the holidays at 7-Eleven without jerky. This year, 7- Eleven -- the store considered by some to be the jerky capital of the world -- has come up with the perfect gift for jerky-lovers everywhere, Jack Link's Taste of America Beef Jerky Holiday Gift Pack. The $19.99 gift pack includes seven varieties -- Mega, Slab, Original, Teriyaki, KC Masterpiece, Pepper and Nugget. 9. Portable CD player & Jessica CD A Christmas CD never sounded ... or looked ... so good. Jessica Simpson's first holiday CD with seven tracks retails for just $7.99 at 7-Eleven. The CD includes a first-ever duet with sister Ashlee Simpson, a chart-topping musician and TV actor in her own right, and an exclusive acoustic version of Jessica's globally popular hit, "Angels." Holiday shoppers can add a portable CD player for a great gift combination that costs less than $35. 10. Fresh-cut Flowers & Boxed Chocolates 7-Eleven shoppers can surprise someone special with a gift of poinsettias, cut flowers or the new Bouquett-Os arrangements. Ideal for office or hostess gifts, for teachers or as a holiday centerpiece, poinsettia plants retail for $6.99. Cut flowers and arrangements are priced from $5.99 to $6.49. Flowers can be paired with a box of gourmet Belgian or European chocolates or perhaps a bottle of wine. 11. 7-Eleven Holiday Village Store Give somebody their very own 7-Eleven store! Every miniature holiday village needs a festive 7-Eleven store on the corner. This colorful version lights up and features a Slurpee chimney, drive-through and holiday decorations. Suggested retail price is $12.99. "Christmas is our busiest day of the year," Gerrity said, "and because we're open 24 hours a day, every day, customers can shop up until literally the very last minute. We've worked to make holiday shopping easy for consumers, assembling a wide variety of gift items that are much more than just presents to grab in an emergency." About 7-Eleven, Inc. 7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven, Inc. operates or franchises approximately 5,800 7-Eleven(R) stores in the United States and Canada and licenses more than 21,300 7-Eleven stores in 17 other countries and U.S. territories around the world. During 2003, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales of more than $36 billion. Find out more online at http://www.7-eleven.com/ . CONTACT: KEVIN GARDNER 7-ELEVEN, INC. 214.828.7345 DATASOURCE: 7-Eleven, Inc. CONTACT: Kevin Gardner of 7-Eleven, Inc., +1-214-828-7345 or Web site: http://www.7-eleven.com/

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