7-Eleven to Close Hundreds of Stores in North America by Fiscal Year 2026

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Global retail giant 7-Eleven, through its parent company Seven & i Holdings, announced plans to close hundreds of its stores in North America.

A total of 645 convenience stores will cease operations during fiscal year 2026, which runs from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2027.

The goal is to clean up the company's financial position ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO) scheduled for 2027.

However, 7-Eleven also plans to open more than 200 new locations in North America during the same period.

The closure of 645 7-Eleven stores in North America by fiscal year 2026 is an integral part of Seven & i Holdings' multi-year restructuring strategy.

The parent company of 7-Eleven is working to optimize its business portfolio and improve overall operational efficiency.

The 645 store closures represent the highest number in recent years.

Other ways the company has reduced expenses in the past year have included various “productivity improvement initiatives” and bringing some maintenance tasks in house, Seven & i Director, Managing Officer and CFO Yoshimichi Maruyama said in January.

7-Eleven's store closures are also driven by a shift in the company's business model.

7-Eleven is gradually shifting from its traditional small-store format to larger stores, with an emphasis on fresh food and a wider selection of beverages.

The locations targeted for closure are stores that are underperforming and no longer profitable.

This continues a trend of closing less profitable stores that has been implemented over the past few years.

Despite these significant closures, 7-Eleven still plans to open more than 200 new locations in North America during the same period.

However, it's worth noting that fiscal year 2026 will be the fifth consecutive year in which 7-Eleven closed more stores than it opened in the region.

As of spring 2024, 7-Eleven had more than 13,000 convenience stores across North America.

With planned closures, this total is expected to decline to approximately 12,272 stores by March 2027.

The company has been actively reducing underperforming locations for several years, with approximately 444 stores closing in 2024 and additional closures continuing through 2025.

Some locations slated for closure will even be converted into wholesale fuel stores, which are not included in the company's core retail store count.

Traditional profit drivers such as tobacco and fuel sales are now being supplemented or even replaced by high-margin prepared foods.