The Origin of the Convenience Store

While doing a little research for some reviews, I stumbled upon the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) website. Yeah, something like that really exists. They've got a lengthy section describing the rich history of the convenience store in America, which goes something like this.

On the corner of 12th and Edgefield Streets in Dallas, Texas, circa May 1927, The Southland Ice Company's "Uncle Johnny" Jefferson Green, owner of the Southland Ice Dock, realized people needed to buy basic necessities like bread, eggs and milk after the grocery stores were closed. He stocked the items at his ice shop and stayed open late, making the world a more convenient place.

The convenience store grew rapidly after the second World War alongside the idea of the "American dream." More families had more cars and lived in more suburbs, further away from shopping centers and large grocery stores. So, more convenience stores came into existence. As for the Southland Ice Company? They changed their name to 7-Eleven, Inc.

Since the 1950s, the convenience store has grown into the gas stations and corner stores we see today. Nearly everywhere across the country you can find a place to feed your nicotine habit, spoil your diet, gamble away your hard-earned dollar, and buy the beer you need to forget about all of that. Ah, the convenience store. Thanks, Uncle Johnny.