7-Eleven to Close 645 North American Stores Amid Strategic Shift toward Delivery and Fresh Food

7-Eleven's North American operator plans to close 645 stores during fiscal year 2026, significantly outpacing the 205 new locations it expects to open. The move is part of a broader corporate restructuring by parent company Seven & i Holdings as it pivots toward digital delivery and expanded fresh food offerings. This marks the fifth consecutive year the convenience giant has closed more North American stores than it has opened.

The Details

The planned closures for fiscal year 2026—which spans from March 1, 2026, to February 28, 2027—result in a net reduction of 440 locations across the U.S. and Canada. According to company data, the 645 closures include several sites that will be converted into wholesale fuel stores. These wholesale locations are not counted toward 7-Eleven's overall store footprint, a segment the company has steadily grown to over 900 locations as of December 2025.

Financial pressures have weighed heavily on the organization. Seven & i Holdings projects a 9.4% decline in revenue for the current fiscal year, with expected totals falling to nearly 9.45 trillion yen, or approximately $59.5 billion. Company reports indicate that personal consumption has softened, particularly among low-income households, as inflation continues to impact consumer spending habits.

Under the leadership of CEO Stephen Hayes Dacus, who took the helm last spring, 7-Eleven is executing a transformation plan to modernize its business model. The company is investing heavily in fresh food options to attract more foot traffic and is aggressively expanding its 7NOW delivery service. The 7NOW platform currently operates from 7,500 stores, with a goal of reaching 8,500 by fiscal 2030 to cover more than half of the U.S. population.

Digital growth has provided a bright spot for the company. 7NOW digital sales reached $979 million in fiscal 2025, having grown at an average annual rate of roughly 25% over the last four years. This growth is viewed as a critical hedge against fluctuating fuel prices and changing customer driving habits.

To support this pivot, new store openings will focus on larger-format locations. These sites are designed to house expanded food and beverage offerings, including a late-2025 menu expansion that introduced Japanese-style items such as miso ramen and chicken teriyaki rice balls to select U.S. markets.

Context

7-Eleven is one of the world's largest convenience chains, operating over 86,000 stores across 19 countries. In North America, its Texas-based operator oversees more than 13,000 sites. The company has a long history of global expansion, first entering the Japanese market in 1974 before being purchased by Seven & i Holdings in 2005.

The current contraction in North America contrasts with activity in other regions. Seven-Eleven Japan expects to open 550 new locations while closing 350, indicating that growth outside of North America continues to outpace closures.

External economic factors have exacerbated the challenges in the U.S. and Canada. Recent volatility in energy markets, influenced by the conflict between the U.S. and Israel against Iran, has led to soaring gas prices. Because convenience store traffic is heavily tied to fuel sales, these price spikes can disrupt traditional customer patterns, prompting the shift toward delivery-based models.

What's Next

The corporate restructuring is leading toward a significant financial move: the planned spin-off of the North American convenience business via an initial public offering (IPO). While originally targeted for 2026, the IPO has been pushed to 2027 at the earliest.

Industry analysts will be monitoring whether the aggressive push into fresh food and digital delivery can offset the revenue losses from store closures and inflation. The company's ability to hit its 2030 goal for 7NOW coverage will likely determine if the transformation plan can stabilize North American operations.

Further details regarding specific store locations slated for closure have not yet been disclosed, leaving many franchisees and customers uncertain about which sites will be affected by the fiscal 2026 cuts.