7-Eleven is closing more than 400 locations

Several hundred "underperforming" 7-Eleven locations across North America are closing, the convenience store announced.

Several hundred "underperforming" 7-Eleven locations across North America are closing, the convenience store announced.

Seven & I Holdings, the chain's Japan-based parent company, revealed in an earnings report Thursday that 444 locations of 7-Eleven are shutting down because of a variety of issues, including slowing sales, declining traffic, inflationary pressures and a decrease in cigarette purchases.

A specific list of closing locations wasn't immediately released. The chain has more than 13,000 stores across the United States, Canada and Mexico, so the number of closures amounts to 3 per cent of its portfolio.

In its earnings release, Seven & I said that while the North American economy is "robust overall," it noticed a "more prudent approach to consumption" from middle- and low-income earners because of persistent inflation, high interest rates and a "deteriorating" employment environment.

A combination of those factors led to a 7.3 per cent decline in traffic in August, capping off six straight months of declines.

The chain also pointed out that cigarettes purchases, which was once the largest sales category for convenience stores, has fallen 26 per cent since 2019. A marked shift in sales to other nicotine products, like Zyn, hasn't made up the difference.

The 444 closures is a "gentle pruning of the chain to keep it efficient and profitable," according to Neil Saunders, a retail industry analyst and managing director with GlobalData Retail.