TOKYO, April 20, 2026, 22:39 (JST)
- Seven & i expects to shutter 645 stores across North America in fiscal 2026, with plans to launch 205 new locations. That would bring the total number of stores down to 12,272 from 12,712.
- A number of those closures involve converting fuel sites, not shutting down the entire convenience store.
- The group now expects a 9.4% drop in revenue from operations for this fiscal year, and has bumped the North America IPO target out to fiscal 2027 or beyond.
Seven & i Holdings has set out to shutter 645 North American 7-Eleven locations in fiscal 2026—triple the number of planned openings, which sits at just 205. The strategy marks a sharper retrenchment, part of an effort to streamline and pivot the brand toward more modern outlets. Should the closures proceed as outlined, 7-Eleven Inc. would end the year with 12,272 stores, a drop from the 12,712 reported in February.
The timing is key here: Seven & i not long ago delayed its North American listing, now targeting fiscal 2027 or beyond. The company blamed shaky markets and unpredictable consumer demand for scrapping its earlier timeline. In the meantime, management is banking on store revamps, an expanded fresh food lineup and 7NOW delivery to prove this business has room to grow ahead of any IPO.
Shuttered stores aren’t always left empty. According to company documents, the 645 closures also cover spots slated to become wholesale fuel sites—essentially, gas stations minus the convenience store perks. Once they switch, these sites drop off the chain’s official store count. As of December 2025, AP noted 7-Eleven was already running over 900 of these fuel-only locations across North America.
Consumers are tightening their belts. Seven & i reported a dip in North American personal consumption, noting inflation hit lower-income households hardest. The company now expects revenue from operations to drop 9.4%, landing at 9.448 trillion yen for fiscal 2026.
Still, profitability held up in North America. Seven-Eleven, Inc. reported operating income of $2.221 billion for fiscal 2025. Same-store sales, those from locations open at least a year, edged down 0.4%. Looking ahead to fiscal 2026, the company is aiming for 2.0% same-store sales growth in the U.S. and operating income of $2.375 billion.
The company’s leaning in on food, private-label goods, and delivery to reach its targets. According to presentation slides, 7NOW sales are expected to hit $979 million in fiscal 2025, while the chain plans to add 122 new stores, roll out 175 more private-brand products, and open 30 restaurant-format locations.
Last year, 7-Eleven Inc. president Stan Reynolds told investors the chain’s food-forward locations were lifting APSD—average sales per store per day—by roughly 18% over the system average. The same investor presentation outlined a plan: 550 new stores on the way between 2025 and 2027.
Blake Droesch, analyst at EMARKETER, saw the shift differently—not a step back, but a reworking of strategy. “It’s not that they’re opening a ton of new stores, it’s just they’re rejigging their footprint,” he wrote in a November breakdown, pointing to 7-Eleven’s pivot toward bigger locations with expanded foodservice and grocery offerings. EMARKETER
There’s also the failed takeover attempt hanging over things. Alimentation Couche-Tard, the owner of Circle K, pulled its $46 billion offer for Seven & i in July 2025, saying the Japanese company hadn’t engaged in good faith. Seven & i, for its part, said it still backs its own value-creation strategy.
The company continues to project net growth overseas. Seven-Eleven Japan is eyeing 550 new stores, set against 350 shutterings in fiscal 2026. Elsewhere, store counts are also expected to climb in Australia and several Chinese cities—Beijing, Tianjin, and Chengdu.
Still, one piece remains unresolved. Seven & i hasn’t said which North American stores are on the chopping block or marked for conversion, and its push on food, delivery, and store upgrades needs to ramp up foot traffic fast to make the postponed IPO worthwhile. That’s the key question shadowing the overhaul.
