Major Convenience Store to Close Over 600 Locations This Year

A convenience store giant is closing hundreds of stores and supersizing the ones that remain.

Indeed, 7-Eleven is apparently taking “less is more” to a new level. The convenience store chain plans to shutter 645 North American locations during its 2026 fiscal year, according to earnings filings from its parent company, Seven & i Holdings, as first reported by C-Store Dive.

But don’t count your Slurpees just yet. The closures are part of a larger glow-up. The company is also expanding, opening hundreds of new, larger locations. It’s trading its corner-store vibe for a fast-casual one, taking a page from the playbooks of convenience store giants like Sheetz and Buc-ee’s. This new “food-forward” format focuses on prepared meals, drinks, and an overall better in-store experience.

So far, the new strategy seems to be working. According to 7-Eleven President Stan Reynolds, these “food-forward stores” are not just a hit with customers but are also boosting average daily sales by “about 18% higher than our system average.”

“We’ll continue learning from these stores and refine our new store standard to meet the needs of consumers both now and in the future,” Reynolds added.

The redesigned locations will offer more food and beverage choices and a wider selection of products. Some will even become “wholesale fuel stores,” a format not included in the company’s official store count.

The closures are part of the company’s “portfolio optimization” strategy, a corporate term for shutting down underperforming stores.

This is the Fifth Year Running That 7-Eleven Has Closed More Convenience Stores Than It Has Opened

The company’s filing didn’t specify which locations will close or become gas-only stations. According to C-Store Dive, this marks the fifth consecutive year 7-Eleven has closed more stores than it has opened.

It’s been a tough couple of years for 7-Eleven. The New York Post reports the convenience store giant has shuttered over 600 stores in 2024 and 2025 combined, with about 450 of those in North America. This comes as cigarette sales, once a major profit driver, have plummeted 26% since 2019. Add reduced foot traffic and inflationary pressures to the mix, and it’s a recipe for a corporate headache.

The chain plans to open 122 stores and close 373 this year. Next year, it will open 205 stores and close 645. Despite these closures, the company is planning to open 500 new locations between 2025 and 2027.