7-Eleven is planning to close 645 stores across North America this fiscal year
The Japan-based parent of the convenience chain projects it will open only 205 locations in the same period, far fewer than the stores being shuttered
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7-Eleven plans to close 645 stores across North America during its 2026 fiscal year, according to earnings filings published last week by Seven & i Holdings, the Japan-based parent company of the convenience chain.
Seven & i's North American operator has forecast just 205 new openings over the same stretch, leaving the net store count well in the red. Seven & i noted that the shuttered stores "include the conversion to wholesale fuel stores." Filings show the wholesale fuel segment has expanded steadily, reaching a count of more than 900 North American locations by December 2025.
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The company did not specify which locations would be affected or explain the broader rationale for the closures. According to CBS News, 7-Eleven has cited pressures such as slowing sales, reduced foot traffic, and inflation in connection with previous rounds of store closures.
Globally, the 7-Eleven brand counts more than 86,000 locations spread across 19 countries, per the company's website. Its U.S.-based arm, 7-Eleven Inc., operates the chain's more than 13,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada out of its Texas headquarters.
Consumer spending has softened in North America in recent months. A Seven & i report dated April 9 described conditions in North America during its 2025 fiscal year, stating that "although the economy remained robust, personal consumption also began to soften" — a trend felt most acutely, the company said, "particularly among low-income households, as inflation continued to weigh on spending."
The picture looks different elsewhere in the Seven & i portfolio. In Japan, for instance, Seven-Eleven Japan's financial filings show it expects to add 550 stores against only 350 closures in the same fiscal year — a net expansion that stands in contrast to the North American trend.
The company expects revenue to fall by 9.4% this fiscal year, to about 9.45 trillion yen (around $59.5 billion). At the same time, Seven & i is working to improve its in-store food options and expand its 7NOW delivery service. These changes are happening under new CEO Stephen Hayes Dacus, who started last spring.