According to a report by the Japanese Yomiuri Newspaper on October 6, Japan's 7&I Holdings, which primarily operates the 7-Eleven brand, announced on the 5th that in India, all 31 7-Eleven stores managed by local large zaibatsu companies have closed by the end of September.
In 2021, 7-Eleven signed a five-year brand licensing agreement with the Indian conglomerate ‘Safilite Retail’. In October of that year, the first 7-Eleven store in India was opened in Mumbai. By the end of last year, there were approximately 60 7-Eleven stores in India. However, due to intense local competition, the profits of these stores have never been high.
On the 5th, 7&I Holdings said about its Indian business: ‘In order to advance the business from a long-term perspective, we will explore various possible solutions.’
According to comprehensive reports in the Indian newspaper 'Pioneer' and 'Economic Times', most of the 7-Eleven stores operated in cooperation with Japan have already closed. The remaining stores are being cleared of inventory, and will eventually cease operations. Although there are rumors that 7-Eleven may seek other Indian partners to maintain its hard-won presence, no decisions have been made yet.
Reports indicate that, as of March 2026, 7-Eleven in India had revenue of approximately 920 million Indian rupees, with a net loss of nearly 900 million Indian rupees (about 62 million yuan). This loss is essentially equal to the amount of money lost. Japanese media analyze that the main reason for this failure is the presence of millions of small traditional grocery stores called “Kirana” in the region. Another factor is delivery services, which allow daily necessities to be delivered directly to customers’ doorsteps within one hour. “Franchise India” believes that high rent costs, expensive electronic equipment, and a layout limited to just two cities have contributed to this failure.
