The convenience store chain operating more than 70,000 locations worldwide is 7-Eleven.
The business began in 1927 as Southland Ice Company in Dallas, Texas, selling ice, a crucial household product before widespread home refrigeration. It later added groceries and convenience items, operating under the Tote’m Stores name before becoming 7-Eleven in 1946. The name originally reflected its extended hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.
7-Eleven’s modern network is far larger than the name suggests, with roughly 85,000 stores in about 20 countries and territories as of 2024. Japan has the world’s largest concentration of locations and is central to the company’s current ownership structure.
A common misconception is that 7-Eleven is solely an American company today. It is American in origin and headquartered in Texas, but 7-Eleven, Inc. is owned by Seven-Eleven Japan, which belongs to the Japanese holding company Seven & I Holdings. Store offerings vary considerably by country.