7-Eleven details plans to close 645 stores during fiscal 2026
Seven and i Holdings, the Japan-based parent company of 7-Eleven, announced plans to close 645 convenience stores across North America during its 2026 fiscal year. Of these closures, two hundred stores are unprofitable convenience locations, three hundred fifty will be converted to wholesale fuel sites, and ninety-five will close due to franchise terminations or contractual reasons. The company plans to simultaneously open two hundred five new stores, resulting in a net reduction of about four hundred forty locations. The closures stem from declining customer traffic, softer consumer spending, inflationary pressures, and rising operating costs. Seven and i is shifting its strategy from volume-based expansion to quality and profitability, prioritizing larger food-forward store formats and the wholesale fuel model. The company also plans to remodel more than seven thousand stores by two thousand thirty and expand fresh food offerings to strengthen profitability ahead of a delayed North American IPO now scheduled for at least two thousand twenty-seven.
Key facts
- Seven and i Holdings plans to close 645 7-Eleven stores during fiscal year 2026, which runs from March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027
- Of the 645 closures: 200 are unprofitable stores, 350 convert to wholesale fuel sites, and 95 close for non-performance-based reasons
- The company plans to open 205 new stores in the same period, resulting in a net closure of approximately 440 locations
- As of Q1 fiscal 2026, 45 stores had been closed, 72 converted to wholesale, and 43 converted to franchises
- Seven and i operates approximately 13,145 7-Eleven stores in North America as of late 2024
- This marks the fifth consecutive year 7-Eleven has closed more stores than it opened
- The company plans to convert roughly 2,600 stores to franchise locations through 2030, targeting an 80% franchise ratio
Limits of this briefing
Seven and i has not identified which specific locations will be closed, limiting community-level impact assessment. Coverage was primarily from business and trade press outlets with limited perspectives from labor advocates, affected franchisees, or community impact analyses.
Sources
- Fox Business: 7-Eleven details plans to close 645 stores Centre
- CBS News: 7-Eleven plans to close 645 stores in North America this year Centre
- C-Store Dive: 7-Eleven plans to close 645 c-stores in fiscal 2026 Centre
- The Street: 99-year-old convenience store chain closing 645 stores Centre
- Forbes: 7-Eleven To Close 645 Stores As It Races To Catch Up In Convenience Centre