New Delhi: All remaining 7-Eleven stores in India have closed this September, according to its Japanese parent company. It marks the end of a five-year franchise partnership between Reliance Retail and Japan’s Seven & i Holdings.
Seven & i Holdings confirmed that its master franchisee, Reliance Retail (of Reliance Industries), shut all 31 outlets, located in Mumbai and Pune, as of 30 September 2026.
“We confirm that our Master Franchisee, Reliance, which operates 7-Eleven stores in Mumbai and Pune, closed all 31 stores as of 30 September 2026,” a spokesperson from the Japanese company said, as quoted by India Entrepreneur.
“At the same time, 7-Eleven International continues to strengthen its global business across existing and new markets to drive sustainable, long-term growth.”
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No official reason for the closure
The partnership began in 2021 after an earlier agreement with Future Retail was terminated. Reliance opened the first Indian 7-Eleven store in Mumbai in October 2021 and expanded the network to a peak of around 60 outlets.
According to reports in the Business Standard, the venture struggled to achieve profitability amid intense competition from traditional neighbourhood kirana stores and fast-growing quick-commerce platforms that deliver groceries and essentials within minutes.
Financial statements for the 7-India Convenience Retail unit (a Reliance Retail subsidiary) showed revenue of about Rs 92 crore (roughly $10.6 million) and a net loss of nearly Rs 90 crore for the financial year ended March 2026.
Neither Seven & i nor Reliance has publicly detailed a single cause for the closures beyond the end of the franchise term, though reports have pointed to the challenging economics of the branded convenience format in India. Some outlets may have operated briefly to clear remaining inventory.
Employees from the 7-Eleven operations are being absorbed into Reliance Retail’s broader grocery and neighbourhood retail businesses, as per reports.
Despite the shutdown of current operations, Seven & i has signalled it has not abandoned the Indian market. A company spokesperson told CNBC that the chain “continues to aspire to serve Indian customers and looks forward to exploring several options to advance its presence in the market over the long term.”
“It seems more like a rethink of the current franchise arrangement, particularly given the losses under the existing model,” Sohrab Bararia, partner at consultancy firm Grant Thornton Bharat, told CNBC.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)