7-Eleven was founded by J. C. Thompson in 1927 as The Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas. When an enterprising employee in a small ice storefront began offering milk, bread and eggs on Sundays and evenings when grocery stores were closed. This was the beginning of the convenience store industry as it is known today Franchise (7-eleven, n.d ).The company's first convenience outlets were known as Totem’s stores since customers "toted" away their purchases, and some even sported genuine Alaskan totem poles in front (7eleven, 2010). By 1945 Southland owned stores scattered over north-central Texas, operating from 7 in the morning to 11 at night, seven days a week. In 1946 the firm Tracey-Locke, commissioned to create a new name, chose '7-Eleven' to emphasize the firm's commitment to long operating hours to serve customers better. At the end of the 1950s, John Thompson began to introduce 7-Eleven stores outside of Texas, in Virginia, Maryland, and eastern Pennsylvania. In reaction to mass migration to the suburbs, Southland opened more suburban stores (Historyofbusiness , 2011).
The company's corporate name was changed from The Southland Corporation to 7-Eleven in 1999 (7eleven, 2010). The 7‑Eleven name has been the pioneer in its trade, earning the title of world’s leading convenience store .Having a strong customer-centric focus, 7‑Eleven saw new ways to grow through innovation, hitting new heights that continuously move the convenience store industry forward (Franchise.7-eleven, n.d ). Together with its global licensees, franchisees and affiliates in 16 countries, 7-Eleven operates over 50,000 stores worldwide (7eleven, 2010).
The first 7-Eleven store in Malaysia opened on 9 October 1984 in Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur and it is still in operation today and achieved a milestone with its 1000th store opening in 2008. In Malaysia, 7-Eleven Day is celebrated on 7 November (7/11) instead of July 11 which is the official birthday of the 7-Eleven