Catering to Convenience
The origins of 7-Eleven
Strolling down a busy street without seeing a convenience store is almost impossible in many countries. The most well-known convenience store is undoubtedly 7-Eleven. There are over 28,000 stores in 20 countries, and the figures are increasing all the time.
1) cater (v.) 提供飲食及服務
2) stroll (v.) 散步，閒逛
3) figure (n.) 數字
Like many large chains, 7-Eleven began as a small venture. In May 1927, a man named John Jefferson Green worked for the Southland Ice Company in Texas. He ran the ice dock at Oak Hill, which today is a part of Dallas. Since this was before the invention of refrigerators, people constantly had to buy large blocks of ice to keep their food from spoiling. In the summer, the demand for ice would increase, since it melted so quickly. The steady stream of customers gave Green ideas.
4) venture (n.) 企業
5) block (n.) 方塊
6) spoil (n.) （食物）腐敗
7) customer (n.) 顧客
In the 1920s, American businesses generally closed before dusk and did not open on Sundays. Since Green operated his ice dock for 16 hours a day, seven days a week, he decided that it made sense to have grocery items available along with blocks of ice. He believed that some of his customers would gladly purchase bread, milk, and cheese along with their 25-pound ice blocks. With this insight, the very first convenience store was born.
8) dusk (n.) 黃昏
9) operate (v.) 經營
10) make sense 有道理，可以理解
11) available (a.) 有供應，可取得
12) purchase (v.) 購買
13) insight (n.) 眼光，洞見
When officials at the Southland Ice Company noticed the success of Green's small venture, they saw the potential and arranged for other ice docks to follow Green's example. They did, and the large number of satisfied customers confirmed that convenience stores were a winning concept. Joseph C. Thompson, one of the founders of the Southland Ice Company, became the founder of the first convenience store chain.
14) potential (n.) 可能性，潛力
15) confirm (v.) 證實，確定
16) concept (n.) 概念，觀念
17) founder (n.) 創辦人
In 1946, the stores all became known as "7-Eleven," because they were open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Over the years the chain has expanded in ways that Green would never have imagined, all in the name of convenience. For example, most 7-Elevens are now open 24 hours a day, and they all have a large selection of items that underscore their identities as "convenience" stores. At four in the morning, where else would you go to get batteries, bandages, or eggs?
18) expand (v.) 擴大，展開
19) selection (n.) 選擇
20) underscore (v.) 強調，凸顯
21) identity (n.) 身分，特性
22) battery [`b1t4r6] (n.) 電池
23) bandage (n.) 繃帶
Today, 7-Eleven is internationally recognized and still growing. The corporation was recently acquired by the Seven & I company in Japan, where there are over 10,800 stores! Convenience stores are evolving, too. In some parts of Asia, services are expanded to allow customers to pay utility bills, send packages, or even buy concert tickets. 7-Eleven has certainly come a long way since Green's initial insight!
24) recognize (v.) 認出，承認
25) corporation (n.) 股份（有限）公司，財團法人
26) acquire (v.) 取得，買進
27) evolve (v.) 逐步形成，演化
28) utility (n.) 水電、瓦斯等公用事業（常用複數utilities）
29) initial (a.) 最初的
