As convenience stores like Wawa add higher-quality and more varied food and beverage options and upgraded services, 99-year-old 7-Eleven is remodeling some stores and closing 645 others in 2026 to meet changing demand.
“As 7-Eleven eyes a 2027 IPO, the company continues adjusting its footprint, mainly through closing underperforming locations and opening new ones under its large format, food-focused design,” Convenience Store Dive reported.
Some locations will be converted to “wholesale fuel stores,” according to parent company Seven & i Holdings‘ fourth-quarter earnings release.
The chain closed more than 600 locations in 2024 and 2025 combined, writes Daniel Kline for The Street, as published at Yahoo!Finance.
Though 7-Eleven is one of the leaders in the convenience store space, it is transforming its business model, shifting from just a convenience store to a convenience store, plus restaurant or food service outlet, plus grocery, said EMarketer Senior Retail Analyst Blake Doersch.
Historically, convenience stores used fuel to attract people to a location.
These days, the average person fills up their car 2 to 3 times a month, but the average C-store shopper comes to a convenience store more than three times a week.
Read more about how consumer behavior is changing in convenience store use at Yahoo! Finance.
