Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings confirmed on 6 October that all 31 of its 7-Eleven convenience stores in India were closed by its partner Reliance Retail on 30 September, marking the brand's formal exit from the Indian market.
"We confirm that our Master Franchisee, Reliance, which operates 7-Eleven stores in Mumbai and Pune, closed all 31 stores on September 30," Seven & i Holdings said in a statement.
7-Eleven had entered India in October 2021 through a master franchise agreement with Reliance Retail, with its first store opening in Andheri East, Mumbai. The chain reached roughly 60 stores at its peak, but the business struggled to achieve the scale and profitability required to sustain a branded convenience-store network in the country. The numbers tell the story plainly: the 7-India Convenience Retail venture recorded revenue of about ₹920 million (roughly $10.6 million) and a net loss close to ₹900 million for the financial year ended March 2026.
Seven & i did not specify a reason for the withdrawal, but Japanese media including Nikkei and Yomiuri Shimbun pointed to intense competition from local Indian retailers. Kirana stores had the everyday essentials game covered for years, while quick commerce made ordering groceries, snacks, and last-minute needs from home easy. The rapid growth of quick commerce has made it more difficult for physical convenience outlets to generate enough sales to cover their rental, staffing, stock, and distribution expenses.
Employees from the 7-Eleven operations are being absorbed into Reliance Retail's broader grocery and neighbourhood retail businesses.
Seven & i Holdings said it has not given up on India in the long term: "While our aspiration to serve customers in India remains, we look forward to exploring several options to advance our presence in the market over the long term."
Meanwhile, Japanese rival Lawson is gearing up to enter the Indian market by 2027 and hopes to open around 100 stores nationwide by 2030, a sign that global interest in India's retail space is not slowing down, even if the convenience-store format has yet to find its footing there.
Source: Nikkei Asia
