The convenience-store giant plans to shutter 295 locations, convert 350 sites to wholesale operations and open about 200 new food-focused stores during fiscal 2026.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
7-Eleven plans to close or convert 645 stores across the United States during fiscal 2026 as the convenience-store chain restructures underperforming locations and accelerates a broader modernization strategy centered on fresh food.
The company said during its fiscal first-quarter earnings presentation Thursday that it will close 200 underperforming stores and convert another 350 locations to wholesale operations.
An additional 95 stores will close for reasons unrelated to financial performance, including franchise terminations and other contractual circumstances, a company spokesperson told C-Store Dive earlier this week.
Together, the changes account for 645 locations being closed or converted during the fiscal year.
At the same time, 7-Eleven expects to open approximately 200 new stores designed around expanded food offerings.
The chain, owned by Japan-based Seven & i Holdings, currently operates about 13,000 locations in the United States. By next March, the company expects that total to decline to 12,272.
Fiscal 2026 began in March.
The store reductions are part of a wider effort to update 7-Eleven’s U.S. operations and shift the chain toward a more food-focused business model.
During its April Investor Day presentation, the company announced plans to remodel more than 7,000 stores by 2030.
Fresh food is expected to be a central component of those renovations.
The company aims to generate an additional $1 billion in fresh food sales and open 1,100 new restaurants by 2030.
The strategy reflects an effort to move beyond the traditional convenience-store model by offering customers a larger selection of prepared meals and other food options.
While the company is reducing its overall U.S. store count in the near term, the planned openings, restaurant expansion and remodeling program indicate that 7-Eleven is concentrating investment in locations it believes can support stronger food sales and long-term growth.
The 200 performance-based closures will target stores the company has identified as underperforming, while the 95 additional closures will result from franchise and contractual issues.
The 350 wholesale conversions will shift those locations away from the company’s existing operating structure without necessarily removing them from the broader convenience-store market.
By next spring, 7-Eleven expects to operate 728 fewer U.S. locations than its current total, even after accounting for the approximately 200 new stores scheduled to open.
The restructuring represents one phase of a multi-year transformation that will combine store closures, wholesale conversions, new restaurant openings and thousands of renovations.
Through that effort, 7-Eleven is seeking to improve the performance of its remaining locations while making prepared food a larger source of sales across its U.S. network.
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