Dive Brief:

• 7-Eleven International, a subsidiary of Seven & i, is looking to expand the popular c-store chain’s reach from 19 countries and regions to 30 by fiscal year 2030, according to Seven & i’s latest financial report released Thursday.
• 7-Eleven International is specifically looking to find franchisee candidates in more European countries, including Germany, according to a Wednesday report from NACS. 
• While 7-Elevens can be found in 12 Asia-Pacific countries, the retailer has less than 400 locations across Europe and the Middle East, with stores in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as well as Israel, where the company opened its first location in January.

Dive Insight:

7-Eleven’s latest expansion plans come as Seven & i increasingly prioritizes its c-store business over its broader retail and department store divisions amid rising investor pressure. While it had previously said increasing the c-store count in the U.S. was a priority, in its latest earnings report the holding company added this larger international target.

It also plans to open more than 700 new locations outside of Japan and North America by the end of fiscal 2025.

7-Eleven isn’t the only international c-store chain with its sights set on European expansion. Circle K’s parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard recently announced the acquisition of over 2,000 sites in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

The NACS report listed several countries that were being considered for new 7-Eleven stores in addition to Germany, including France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the U.K., Austria and Switzerland.

“Convenience food is a global trend and a growing market,” said Ken Wakabayashi, 7-Eleven International co-CEO, in the NACS report. “With a high-quality range of fresh food and beverages, 7-Eleven is already a leader in this segment in Asia and North America. We have recognized that the need for high-quality convenience food is also great in Europe. That’s why the European market is now a leading expansion area for the 7-Eleven brand.”

Seven & i, through all of its subsidiaries, owns, leases or franchises over 80,000 convenience stores in 19 countries.