7‑Eleven to Close 645 U.S. Stores in Fiscal 2026 Amid Softening Low‑Income Spending
7‑Eleven said it will close 645 stores across the United States in fiscal 2026, a large-scale reduction the company frames as a move to shutter underperforming locations while reallocating investment toward bigger, higher‑performing and fuel‑focused outlets. The announcement, made as the convenience retailer updates its footprint for the coming year, comes amid a broader company strategy to emphasize larger, food‑forward formats that prioritize fresh food, drinks and prepared meals over small neighborhood stores with weak sales.
Analysts and supplemental economic data suggest the closures reflect more than site‑level performance alone. Personal consumption expenditures inflation rose to 2.9% in December 2025, and gasoline prices have climbed above $4 per gallon after disruptions tied to Middle East tensions and constrained flows through the Strait of Hormuz — a rise of nearly 25% from earlier levels — squeezing discretionary spending for lower‑income shoppers. Low‑ and middle‑income families in the U.S. spend roughly 6%–10% of their income on energy, three to five times the share of higher‑income households, so energy and fuel cost spikes disproportionately reduce their ability to buy convenience items; although wage gains largely caught up to inflation by the end of 2024, regional variation (with inflation as high as 3.5% in the Northeast) means pressure remains uneven across markets.
Public reaction and commentary on social platforms mirror those explanations and add local concerns. Some observers attribute the cuts to inflation and surging gas prices and expect a tilt toward fuel‑centric locations; others frame the move as a planned restructuring to concentrate on larger, higher‑performing stores while continuing to open and redesign formats elsewhere. Local accounts have raised questions about community impacts, asking which nearby stores will be affected. Reporting has shifted from initial company statements about format change toward broader analyses that blend corporate strategy with macroeconomic context — business reporters and economic commentators increasingly connect the store closures to softened low‑income spending and energy price shocks rather than treating them solely as a routine portfolio optimization.
📊 Relevant Data
In December 2025, personal consumption expenditures inflation in the US rose to 2.9%, contributing to softened personal consumption particularly among low-income households.
US inflation dynamics effect on US economy — Deloitte
Lower-income households in the US were hit hardest by postpandemic inflation, though their wage gains compensated for it by the end of 2024, with inflation rates varying regionally up to 3.5% in the Northeast.
Lower-income households were hit hardest by inflation — Cleveland Fed
US gasoline prices surged past $4 per gallon amid escalating Middle East tensions and disruptions to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, representing an increase of almost 25 percent since the US and Israel attacked Iran.
America Is an Oil Exporter. Why Does a Mideast War Raise Gasoline Prices? — The New York Times
Low- and middle-income families in the US spend between 6% and 10% of their income on energy, which is three to five times more than higher-income households, intensifying the burden from rising gas prices.
America's deepening affordability crisis summed up in 5 charts — CBS News
📌 Key Facts
- Seven & i plans to close 645 U.S. 7‑Eleven stores in fiscal year 2026, partly through conversion to wholesale fuel outlets.
- The company expects to open 205 new stores in the same period, meaning closures will outpace openings in North America.
- Seven & i projects a 9.4% revenue decline this fiscal year to about 9.45 trillion yen (around $59.5 billion), citing inflation and weakened spending among low‑income consumers.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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