444 7-Eleven Outlets In America Will Be Closed

- Eleven (@7-eleven) Outlet

JAKARTA - Hundreds of 7-Eleven outlets deemed unfavorable across North America will be closed. Seven & I Holdings, Japan-based parent company 7-Eleven, said 444 outlets would be closed due to various obstacles, such as a decline in sales, reduced number of visitors, inflationary pressure, and a decline in cigarette sales.

Reporting from CNN International, Sunday, October 13, the network operates more than 13,000 outlets across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The closure is equivalent to about 3% of the total stores owned.

In its financial report, Seven & I noted, although North America's overall economic condition is quite strong, there has been a change in consumption behavior, especially among middle and low-income consumers. This is due to continued inflation, high interest rates, and increasingly unstable employment conditions.

These factors caused customer traffic to decline by 7.3% in August 2024, the peak of successive declines over the past six months.

In addition, cigarette sales, which was previously the best-selling category, have decreased by 26% since 2019. Customer switching to alternative nicotine products such as Zyn has not been fully able to cover the shortfall.

In a statement to CNN, 7-Eleven explained that the company continues to review and rearrange its portfolio as part of a growth strategy. The company will also continue to open new outlets in the region with higher demand.