The world’s largest convenience store just got a little less convenient.

With over 85,000 locations globally, 7-Eleven became a gas station powerhouse, operating in 20 countries. The chain has 13,000 locations across the US alone. But stores are disappearing like the last drops from a slushie machine.

During a fiscal first-quarter earnings presentation last week from 7-Eleven’s parent company, Seven & i Holdings, the chain broke down its restructuring goals. The company shared that it had closed 45 underperforming stores while opening 30 new ones.

Back in April, the company revealed that 645 convenience stores would close by February 28, 2027. 7-Eleven will also be opening more than 200 within that same time period.

A 7-Eleven spokesperson told C-Store Dive that 200 stores will close for underperformance, 350 will convert to wholesale sites (company-owned stores to independent operators) and 95 will shut down for other reasons — contractual or franchise terminations.

So why is the world’s largest convenience store chain closing down so many spots? A larger focus on food may be the answer.

While the grab-and-go chain is known for cheap gas and Slurpees, we do know that the company has been embarking on a new model, focusing on higher-quality food for customers. 7-Eleven shared in the earnings presentation that globally, it has “continued to invest in fresh food, store modernization and digital capabilities to support long-term growth.”

And it’s working.

“These food-forward stores are resonating with our customers and driving [average sales per store day] about 18% higher than our system average,” 7-Eleven President Stan Reynolds said in the company’s fiscal Q4 earnings call. 

According to company documents, 7-Eleven aims to remodel over 7,000 North American locations with upgraded equipment and a fresh look. In 2024, the chain introduced its “New Standard,” building on its “Evolution” store designs from 2019.

These were stores with a much larger format and were grub-forward as locations came with bigger kitchen spaces. 7-Eleven’s newer concept puts the focus on food and beverages, in-store dining and delivery.

Back in 2018, the company also rolled out its 7NOW delivery program — a 24/7 on-demand service delivering over 3,000 convenience items like hot food, drinks, groceries, and alcohol all within 30 minutes.

The chain has since expanded the program with a slew of new benefits, including a Gold Pass Subscription service ranging from $5.95 for students to $9.95. Members get a bunch of perks like seven free drinks per month, savings on fuel, and unlimited free delivery, to name a few.

While its website shows all items available for purchase, the company is clearly doubling down on its fresh food as the first products shown are goodies like breakfast sandwiches, donuts, whole pizzas, chicken wings and even cheeseburgers. Proving that the brand has come a long way from just Big Gulps and small bites.

“This is a smart pivot — take a losing asset and turn it into a profit center instead of writing it off completely,” Stephen Ellsworth, the co-founder of Poppi, told Inc. 

“But make no mistake, a move this aggressive tells me 7-Eleven’s financial health is a bigger problem than a handful of underperforming stores. You don’t restructure your real estate model this hard unless you have to,” Ellsworth added.

Meanwhile, Hope Neiman is the CMO of Tillster and powers digital-ordering strategies for restaurant brands like Burger King. Neiman also told Inc that 7-Eleven could be making a good move.

“Five consecutive years of net store closures show that 7-Eleven has been rethinking its footprint, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect weakening demand,” she said. “It’s just signaling a need to pivot the format to match how consumers use convenience stores today.”

The Post reached out to 7-Eleven for a list of closures and reasoning behind them, but has not heard back.