7-Eleven plans to close more than 600 stores in 2026 even as it opens new locations this year, a sign that the convenience store giant is resetting how it wants to make money in North America. The chain said it intends to add 205 locations this year while trimming a larger number of weak performers over the next year.
The company now has more than 13,000 convenience stores in North America, far ahead of its nearest rival, which operates 7,000 stores. But many of 7-Eleven’s locations are being reduced to wholesale fuel stores, which Seven & i does not count in its store total. That shift reflects a broader change in the business: the company has been shutting down low-performing stores and opening newer ones with more options, including fresh food.
The stakes for Seven & i are unusually high. The parent company expects to lose about $59.5 billion in the current fiscal year, and Stephen Hayes Dacus, who became chief executive last spring, has put cost control at the center of the response. “In that environment, you need to look harder at your supply chain, you need to make sure you squeeze your costs really tightly, so you have really good control of it,” Dacus said.
The strategy also tracks with the way Americans are using fuel stops. Gas prices in the U.S. have climbed to a national average of $4.118, while California has reached $5.844, the highest in the country. Richard Garcia said, “The historical model for convenience, particularly in the U.S. is that you use fuel to attract people to your location.” He added, “That is absolutely changing to the store becoming the destination and while they’re there, you hope they might buy fuel.”
7-Eleven is responding by pushing harder into fresh foods and expanding 7NOW delivery as foot traffic in stores weakens. That means the chain is betting that the future of the convenience store is less about the pump pulling customers in and more about the store itself giving them a reason to stop.