7-Eleven Cuts 440 Stores, Shifts to Fuel Stations

0:00It's April 14th, Anchorage news today starts now, AI powered and ready. 7-11's North American team just dropped filing showing they'll close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year, while only opening 2-5 new ones. That's a net drop of 440 stores, hitting their 13,000-plus spots in the U.S. and Canada. A chunk of those closures mean flipping traditional stores into wholesale fuel stations. They've already built up over 900 of those across North America in recent years, shifting focus from corner marks to gas-focused ups. Consumers are feeling the squeeze hard, with inflation dragging on low-income budgets and personal spending cooling off. Sky high gas prices from the U.S. I rail tensions with Iran aren't helping drivers who rely on these spots for quick stops. Over in Japan, the parent company 7 and I is flipping the script, planning to open 550 stores while closing just 350. New CEO Steven Hayes-Dakus, who took over last spring, is pushing fresh food upgrades and

1:04expanding the 7 now delivery service to Sparkgrove. With 86,000 stores worldwide, 7-11's streamlining to weather economic headwinds and chase fresh revenue streams wherever they pop up.