GARWOOD, NJ — 7-Eleven stores in New Jersey and across the U.S. are set for major changes as the chain’s parent company looks to reinvent its brand in the American market, drawing inspiration from its operations in Japan.
Executives revealed during a recent earnings call that foot traffic is down 7.3 percent since August, with cigarette sales plunging 26 percent since 2019, a trend hitting convenience retailers nationwide.
New Jersey is home to 334 7-Eleven locations. Company leaders say the upcoming rebranding effort will focus heavily on food, with plans to overhaul menus that have long been criticized for being convenient but unhealthy.
The initiative is being led by Stephen Dacus, a Japanese American and former Walmart executive who took over as chief executive of 7-Eleven’s parent company, Seven & i Holdings, three months ago. Dacus told The New York Times that the U.S. stores will mirror Japan’s emphasis on high-quality prepared foods.
“Whether it’s hot food or cold food or any kind of food, we have to lean into how we improve the quality and the experience,” he said. “That’s what Japan does extraordinarily well.”
As part of a $13 billion investment over the next five years, the company plans to add more than 1,000 in-store restaurants and build a dedicated supplier network to elevate 7-Eleven’s own-brand offerings. Egg salad sandwiches and the chain’s popular strawberries-and-cream creations — staples in Japan — are expected to become mainstays on U.S. shelves.
At the same time, 7-Eleven is quietly downsizing. The chain has already shuttered 444 stores nationwide since 2024 and expects to close another 148 by year’s end, according to The Street. While specific locations have not been disclosed, one closure has already occurred in Green Brook Township, where a 7-Eleven at 245 Route 22 has been replaced by Wonder.
The changes mark one of the boldest attempts yet by 7-Eleven to adapt to shifting consumer habits and declining tobacco sales, with New Jersey stores set to play a central role in the company’s U.S. transformation.
