IRVING, Texas — 7-Eleven Inc. has hit a major global growth milestone, topping 70,000 convenience stores, with 9,364 in the United States.
- 7-Eleven is No. 1 in CSP’s2019 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by number of retail outlets.
The brand operates in 17 countries and regions around the world, and 7-Eleven will open its first store in India this year, expanding the company's operations to 18 countries.
“Over 93 years, we've grown from a small local ice house in Oak Cliff, Texas, to a global and iconic brand that is 70,000 stores strong,” said 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto. “That strength is due to a relentless focus on meeting the needs of our customers. We'll continue to place our customers at the forefront of all we do.”
Last year, 7-Eleven opened one store approximately every 3.5 hours, it said.
7-Eleven—and convenience retailing—were born in 1927 when an employee of The Southland Ice Co. began selling bread, milk and eggs from an ice dock after local grocery stores were closed. Unlike grocery stores, ice docks were open 16 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. With the invention of refrigeration eliminating the need for ice stores, Southland transformed its locations into convenient neighborhood markets.
Southland Corp. changed its name to 7-Eleven Inc. in 1999, and it became a subsidiary of Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. in 2005.
The company reached the 40,000-store mark in early 2011, the 50,000-store milestone in early 2013 and the 60,000-store mark in mid-2016.
- Click here to read the June 2017 CSP cover story on 7-Eleven, the “original disruptor.” And click here to view a 7-Eleven timeline.
Known for its iconic brands such as Slurpee, Big Bite and Big Gulp, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven has expanded into sandwiches, salads, side dishes, cut fruit and protein boxes, as well as pizza, chicken wings and mini beef tacos. 7‑Eleven offers private-brand food, snacks and merchandise products under the 7-Select brand. Customers can earn and redeem points on various items in stores nationwide through the 7Rewards loyalty program, place an order in the 7Now delivery app in participating markets or use 7-Eleven for bill payments, self-service lockers and other services.
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