White Hen Pantry
Encyclopedia
White Hen Pantry was a Lombard, Illinois
-based chain of approximately 261 predominantly franchisee
-owned convenience store
s located in the greater Chicago
and Boston
/ New England
areas of the United States. 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.
All of White Hen Pantry locations are expected to be rebranded as 7-Eleven
stores by the end of 2010.
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.
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. 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.
'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."
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. 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.
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. The White Hen logo continues to be used for prepared foods such as sandwiches under the "Pantry Select" brand. Deli counters and products are being removed and replaced with standard 7-Eleven offerings.
In 2007, an employee in a Boston area store was fired after she announced her pregnancy. The terminated employee filed suit for sex discrimination. The employee claimed that after telling her employer of her pregnancy, he became unfriendly, as well as demanding towards her, and gave her increasingly more work. The owner's credibility was severely compromised when he gave contradictory testimony about the employee's performance. Additional testimony alleged that the owner refused to consider applicants for employment if they came into the store with small children. The terminated employee was awarded $9,471.00 in back pay, as well as $20,000.00 in damages for emotional distress.
Lombard, Illinois
Lombard, "The Lilac Village", is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 42,322 at the 2000 census. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population in 2004 to be 42,975.-History:...
-based chain of approximately 261 predominantly franchisee
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
-owned convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s located in the greater Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
/ New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
areas of the United States. 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.
All of White Hen Pantry locations are expected to be rebranded as 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
stores by the end of 2010.
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
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
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
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
area.
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
Private label
Private label products or services are typically those manufactured or provided by one company for offer under another company's brand. Private label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics to web hosting...
Pantry Select chips at an August Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
baseball game. 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.
Recent
In line with its focus on deli-fresh goods White Hen opened what it billed as a "store of the future" in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Wicker Park
Wicker Park, Chicago
Wicker Park is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, south of Bucktown and west of Pulaski Park within West Town. Charles and Joel Wicker purchased of land along Milwaukee Avenue in 1870 and laid out a subdivision with a mix of lot sizes surrounding a 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."
On August 11, 2006, White Hen Pantry, Inc. was purchased by Seven & I Holdings Co.
Seven & I Holdings Co.
is a diversified retail group headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Founded originally in 1920 as Ito-Yokado, Seven & I is now the fifth largest retailer in the world, with 35,000 stores in approximately 100 countries.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's No. 1 retailer and operator of 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
convenience stores in the United States. 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.
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. The White Hen logo continues to be used for prepared foods such as sandwiches under the "Pantry Select" brand. Deli counters and products are being removed and replaced with standard 7-Eleven offerings.
Controversies
In 2005, an illegal alien who was employed at the White Hen Pantry in Winnetka, IL was accused of raping a 14 year old girl who had stopped by the store on her way home from bicycling from a softball game. A lawsuit alleged that the employee raped the girl twice while the manager kept watch for him and provided him with condoms from the store. Despite his status as an illegal alien, the judge granted the man bail, and he subsequently failed to show up for his initial hearing. It is believed the accused returned to Mexico.In 2007, an employee in a Boston area store was fired after she announced her pregnancy. The terminated employee filed suit for sex discrimination. The employee claimed that after telling her employer of her pregnancy, he became unfriendly, as well as demanding towards her, and gave her increasingly more work. The owner's credibility was severely compromised when he gave contradictory testimony about the employee's performance. Additional testimony alleged that the owner refused to consider applicants for employment if they came into the store with small children. The terminated employee was awarded $9,471.00 in back pay, as well as $20,000.00 in damages for emotional distress.