Sweden: Major Kiosk Chain Replaces Price Signs with Pride Signs

7-Eleven, the American kiosk concept that started the whole idea, has come up with something special for Pride Month in June in Sweden. The company, which runs around 200 stores in the country, is using the campaign “Historical Prices” to educate the public about milestones of the queer community in Sweden.

In 7-Eleven locations, customers will find products with “Pride signs” priced at 19.71, 19.79, 19.98, 20.09 and 20.25 kronor (roughly €1.79 to €1.83). Each price corresponds to a year in which rights, visibility, or the freedom of queer people took a step forward. The campaign was developed in collaboration with the queer organization Regnbågsfonden (Rainbow Foundation).

Milestones highlighted include: 1971 saw the country’s first Pride march — in Örebro. Since 1979, the central Swedish health authority no longer classifies homosexuality as a disease. 1998 brought the first Stockholm Pride. In 2009, the ban on marriage for gays and lesbians was lifted. Finally, in 2025 the rights of gender minorities were strengthened — for example through changes to gender registration (TheColu.mn reported).

Through QR codes in the stores and on the receipts, customers can also learn more about the individual milestones and watch short documentary-style interviews with people who are connected to the events and reforms behind the respective year numbers.

7-Eleven: Our stores are also a public space

“Every day thousands of people come into our stores. That gives us not only a retail floor but a public space,” said Linnéa Borgström of 7-Eleven Sweden. “With ‘Historical Prices’ we want to use this space to remind people that openness, respect, and safety aren’t abstract values. They are the result of people who fought to make society more inclusive.”

“Historical Prices” is part of “Alltid Öppna” (Always Open), a long-term LGBTQ+ rights initiative from 7-Eleven Sweden.

The selected products will go on sale summer in the 7-Eleven stores across Sweden, with proceeds from the items donated to Regnbågsfonden. The campaign also features an ice cream, “Pride Rocket Pink Lemonade,” sold exclusively at 7-Eleven and another kiosk chain (Pressbyrån). For each ice cream sold, two kronor (about 18 euro cents) go to Regnbågsfonden. (dk)