7-Eleven to Close 640 Stores

| published April 15, 2026 |

By Thursday Review staff

According to its parent company Seven & i Holdings, the iconic and popular convenience store chain 7-Eleven will permanently shut down more than 600 retail locations in North America during 2026. Seven & i Holdings explained that the store closures are meant to align with its larger plan to reorganize and better meet current retail demands.

The store closures will impact locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The parent company has delayed a previously planned initial public offering (IPO) until some of its retail sales numbers improve, and as it seeks to more effectively grab a larger piece of the food and drink market, most especially the food made-to-order market—delis, sandwich kiosks, pizzerias, specialty drinks, grills, and kitchens—which has in recent years become a major factor in customer loyalty. Custom food and drink items can leverage a much higher profit margin than gas-at-the-pump or cigarettes.

The kitchen expansions of many existing 7-Eleven stores will be an expensive undertaking and may include costly renovations and capital expenditure, additional employee training, and heavy investment in newer touch screen ordering systems and computers. The production and sale of prepared food will also require a major reshaping of 7-Eleven’s internal and outside supply chains.

7-Eleven hopes that by shuttering 600 stores, it can shift resources and capital toward that goal.

7-Eleven has faced intense competition from other convenience store retailers, notably Wawa, Couche-Tard, Circle K and Speedway, all of which generally build food service or micro restaurant services into their retail designs. With more than 12 thousand locations, 7-Eleven is twice as large as its next nearest competitors, Couche-Tard and Circle K, both owned by Canadian conglomerate Alimentation, based in Quebec. But the Texas-based 7-Eleven has been losing ground, especially when it comes to retaining the loyalty of shoppers who want a more full-service retail experience comparable to Wawa or Circle K.

Seven & i Holdings explained that some of the 7-Elevens slated for store closure will, however, remain open for the sale of gas only. The majority of sales of gas at-the-pump is completed using credit cards or debit cards.

Though neither 7-Eleven or parent company Seven & i Holdings has identified which stores will be closed, business analysts expect those decisions to made very soon since the parent company hopes to reintroduce the IPO no later than mid-summer.

According to data analytics firm Scrape Hero, California has the most 7-Eleven stores, with 1,893 retail locations. Florida is home to the most Circle K and Couche-Tard locations, each with about 6,800 convenience stores in the Sunshine State. Wawa has about 1,250 retail locations nationwide.


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Aldi's Ambitious Expansions; R. Alan Clanton; Thursday Review; February 13, 2026.

Kroger Ending Grocery Deliveries in Florida; By R. Alan Clanton, Thursday Review editor; November 27, 2025.