Dive Brief:
- 7-Eleven expects to close 645 convenience stores in North America during fiscal 2026, which runs from March 1, 2026 to Feb. 28, 2027, parent Seven & i Holdings revealed in one of its fourth-quarter earnings documents last week.
- The closings include “the conversion to wholesale fuel stores” for some sites, according to the document, which also noted that 7-Eleven does not include wholesale locations in its store count.
- Although 7-Eleven said it also expects to open more than 200 North American locations in the same period, fiscal 2026 will be the fifth year in a row that the company has closed more stores than it opened.
Dive Insight:
As 7-Eleven eyes a 2027 IPO, the company continues adjusting its footprint, mainly through closing underperforming locations and opening new ones under its large format, food-focused design. However, 7-Eleven now appears to be adding another layer to those adjustments by converting various company-owned sites to its wholesale segment — a strategy that wasn’t mentioned in any of its earnings in recent years.
7-Eleven did not respond by press time when asked about this conversion program, including how many stores it’s converting to wholesale versus closing entirely.
