7-Eleven is an international chain of convenience stores that operates, franchises and licenses

some 56,600 stores in 18 countries. The chain was originally known as Tote'm Stores until
renamed in 1946.
7-Eleven Inc. is headquartered in Irving, Texas. Its parent company, Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd.
is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Seven-Eleven Japan is held by the Seven & I Holdings Co

Etymologies:
The company's first outlets were named "Tote'm Stores" because customers "toted"
away their purchases. Some stores featured genuine Alaskan totem poles in front of
the store. In 1946, the chain's name was changed from "Tote'm" to "7-Eleven" to
reflect the company's new, extended hours, 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, seven days per
week . In November 1999, the corporate name of the US company was changed
from "The Southland Corporation" to "7-Eleven Inc

History:
In 1927, Southland Ice Company employee John Jefferson Green began selling eggs, milk, and
bread from one of 16 ice house storefronts in Dallas, with permission from one of Southland's
founding directors, Joe C. Thompson, Sr. Although small grocery stores and general
merchandisers were available, Thompson theorized that selling products such as bread and milk
in convenience stores would reduce the need for customers to travel long distances for basic
items. He eventually bought the Southland Ice Company and turned it into Southland
Corporation, which oversaw several locations in the Dallas area.
In 1928, Jenna Lira brought a totem pole as a souvenir from Alaska and placed it in front of the
store. The pole served as a marketing tool for the company, as it attracted a great deal of
attention. Soon, executives added totem poles in front of every store and eventually adopted an
Inuit-inspired theme for their stores. Later on, the stores began operating under the name "Tote'm
Stores". In the same year, the company began constructing gasoline stations in some of its Dallas
locations as an experiment. Joe Thompson also provided a distinct characteristic to the
company's stores, training the staff so that people would receive the same quality and service in
every store. Southland also started to have a uniform for its ice station service boys. This became
the major factor in the company's success as a retail convenience store.

In 1931, the Great Depression affected the company, sending it toward bankruptcy. Nevertheless,
the company continued its operations through re-organization and receivership. A Dallas banker,
W.W. Overton Jr., also helped to revive the company's finances by selling the company's bonds
for seven cents on the dollar. This brought the company's ownership under the control of a board
of directors.
In 1946, in an effort to continue the company's post-war recovery, the name of the franchise was
changed to 7-Eleven to reflect the stores' new hours of operation, which were unprecedented at
the time. In 1969, 7-Eleven experimented with a 24-hour schedule in Austin, Texas, after an
Austin store stayed open all night to satisfy customer demand. Later on, 24-hour stores were
established in Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, as well as Las Vegas, Nevada . In 1971, Southland
acquired convenience stores of the former Pak-A-Sak chain owned by Graham Allen Penniman,
Sr. (19031985), of Shreveport, Louisiana.

Video of the inside of a Floridian 7-Eleven store in 1987.

With the purchase in 1964 of 126 Speedee Mart franchised convenience stores in California, the
company entered the franchise business. The company signed its first area licensing agreement in
1968 with Garb-Ko, Inc. of Saginaw, Michigan, which became the first US domestic area 7Eleven licensee.
In the late 1980s, Southland Corporation was threatened by a rumored corporate takeover,
prompting the Thompson family to take steps to convert the company into a private model by
buying out public shareholders in a tender offer. In December 1987, John Philp Thompson, the
chairman and CEO of 7-Eleven, completed a $5.2 billion management buyout of the
company.The buyout suffered from the effects of the 1987 stock market crash and after failing
initially to raise high yield debt financing, the company was required to offer a portion of stock
as an inducement to invest in the company's bonds.
Various assets, such as the Chief Auto Parts chain, the ice division, and hundreds of store
locations, were sold between 1987 and 1990 to relieve debt incurred during the buyout. This
downsizing also resulted in numerous metropolitan areas losing 7-Eleven stores to rival
convenience store operators. In October 1990, the heavily indebted Southland Corp. filed a prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to transfer control of 70% of the company to Japanese
affiliate Ito-Yokado.

Southland exited bankruptcy in March 1991, after a cash infusion of $430 million from ItoYokado and Seven-Eleven Japan. These two Japanese entities now controlled 70% of the
company, with the founding Thompson family retaining 5% In 1999, Southland Corp. changed
its name to 7-Eleven, Inc., citing the divestment of operations other than 7-Eleven.Ito-Yokado
formed Seven & I Holdings Co. and 7-Eleven became its subsidiary in 2005. In 2007, Seven & I
Holdings announced that it would be expanding its American operations, with an additional
1,000 7-Eleven stores in the United States.
For the 2010 rankings, 7-Eleven climbed to the No. 3 spot in Entrepreneur Magazine's 31st
Annual Franchise 500, "the first and most comprehensive ranking in the world". This was the
17th year 7-Eleven was named in the top 10.
Also in 2010, the first "green" 7-Eleven store opened in DeLand, Florida. The store features U.S.
Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
elements. Also, the environmentally-friendly design brings the store savings in energy costs. That
same year, 7-Eleven went mobile with the launch of the iconic Slurpee drink's iPhone and
Android Application (App). The Slurpee drink app made it easy to find 7-Eleven stores and
provides driving directions. The following year, 7-Eleven celebrated its 40,000th store opening
and within two years of that milestone opened its 50,000th store.

Products and services:

7-Eleven in the United States sells Slurped drinks, a partially frozen soft drink
introduced in 1967, and Big Gulp beverages, introduced in 1976. Other products
include: 7-Select private-brand products, coffee, fresh-made daily sandwiches, fresh
fruit, salads and bakery items, hot and prepared foods, gasoline, dairy products,
carbonated beverages and energy drinks, juices, financial services and product
delivery services.

Global
Asia
China:
7-Eleven opened its first store in China in Shenzhen, Guangdong in 1992 and later expanded to
Beijing in 2004, Chengdu and Shanghai in 2011, Qingdao in 2012, and Chongqing in 2013. In
China's 7-Eleven stores where Slurpees are offered, the Chinese name (slbng) is used. They
also offer a wide array of warm food, including traditional items like steamed buns, and stores in
Chengdu offer a full variety of onigiri. Beverages, alcohol, candy, periodicals, and other
convenience items are available as well. The majority of these stores are open for 24 hours a day.

7-Eleven in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, China

Hong Kong:
7-Eleven in Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong
7-Eleven has operated in Hong Kong since 1981 under the ownership of Dairy Farm. With most
locations being in urbanized areas, approximately 40 percent are franchised stores. In September
2004, Dairy Farm acquired Daily Stop, a convenience-store chain located mainly in the
territory's MTR stations, and converted them to 7-Eleven stores. As of 2009, Hong Kong has 950
7-Eleven stores and has the second-highest density of 7-Eleven stores after Macau, with one
outlet per 1.16 square kilometres (0.45 sq mi).

Indonesia
In 2008, 7-Eleven announced plans to expand its business in Indonesia through a master
franchise agreement with Modern Sevel Indonesia and Media Nusantara Citra. Modern Sevel
Indonesia's initial plans were to focus on opening stores in Jakarta, targeting densely populated
commercial and business areas. Other major cities, such as Bandung, Semarang, and Surabaya
have been identified as expansion opportunities. There are 190 7-Eleven stores in Indonesia as of
2014.

Japan
Japan's first 7-Eleven store in Kt, Tokyo opened in May 1974
Japan has more 7-Eleven locations than anywhere else in the world, where they often bear the
title of its holding company "Seven & I Holdings". Of the 59,831 stores around the globe, 18,785
stores (31 percent of global stores) are located in Japan, with 2,423 stores in Tokyo alone. On
September 1, 2005, Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd., a new holding company, became the parent
company of 7-Eleven, Ito-Yokado, and Denny's Japan.
The aesthetics of the store are somewhat different from that of 7-Eleven stores in other countries
as the stores offer a wider selection of products and services. Following the example of other
convenience stores in Japan, 7-Eleven has solar panels and LEDs installed in about 1,400 of its
stores.

Macau
7-Eleven entered the Macau market in 2005 under the ownership of Dairy Farm, the same
conglomeration group operating Hong Kong's 7-Eleven. With only 25.9 square kilometers,
Macau has 45 stores, making it the single market with the highest density of 7-Eleven stores,
containing one store per 0.65 square kilometers.

Malaysia
A 7-Eleven store in George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Malaysian 7-Eleven stores are owned by 7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., which now operates
2,000 stores nationwide (as of July 2016). 7-Eleven in Malaysia was incorporated on June 4,
1984, by the Berjaya Group Berhad. The first 7-Eleven store was opened in October 1984, in
Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. It's popular in Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu because their
prices are cheaper. In Sandakan the Slurpee beverage is popular among teen and kids.

Philippines
7-Eleven in Angeles City, Philippines
In the Philippines, 7-Eleven is run by the Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC). Its first store,
located in Quezon City, opened in 1984. In 2000, President Chain Store Corporation (PCSC) of
Taiwan, also a licensee of 7-Eleven, purchased the majority shares of PSC and thus formed a
strategic alliance for the convenience store industry within the area. At the end of 2015, 7-Eleven
stores totaled 1,602, up 25 percent from 1,282 stores in end-2014. A total of 1,391 7-Eleven
stores are in Luzon, 178 in Visayas, and 33 in Mindanao.

Singapore

In Singapore, 7-Eleven forms the largest chain of convenience stores island-wide. There are
currently 560 7-Eleven stores scattered throughout the country. Stores in Singapore are operated
by Dairy Farm International Holdings, franchised under a licensing agreement with 7-Eleven
Incorporated. The first 7-Eleven stores were opened in 1983 with a franchise license under the
Jardine Matheson Group. The license was then acquired by Cold Storage Singapore, a subsidiary
of the Dairy Farm Group, in 1989.

A 7-Eleven in Singapore

South Korea
7-Eleven at Godeok Station in Seoul, South Korea
7-Eleven has a major presence in the Republic of Korea convenience store market, where it
competes with CU (store), GS52 (formerly LG25), and independent competitors. There are 8,146
7-Eleven stores in the Republic of Korea; with only Japan, the United States, and Thailand
hosting more stores. The first 7-Eleven store in the Republic of Korea opened in 1989 in Songpagu in Seoul with a franchise license under the Lotte Group. In January 2010, Lotte Group
acquired the Buy the Way convenience store chain and rebranded its 1,000 stores under the 7Eleven brand.

7-Eleven at Godeok Station in Seoul, South Korea

Taiwan

In Taiwan, 7-Eleven is the largest convenience store chain and is owned by President Chain
Store Corporation under Uni-President Enterprises Corporation. The first store opened in 1979
and the 5,000th store was opened in July 2014

Two 7-Eleven stores at the same intersection in Xindian District, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Thailand
The first store opened in 1989 on Patpong Road in Bangkok. The franchise in Thailand is the CP
ALL Public Company Limited, which in turn grants franchises to operators. There are 8,334 7Eleven stores in Thailand as of 2013, with approximately 50% located in Bangkok. Thailand has
the 2nd largest number of 7-Eleven stores after Japan .
The company plans to spend five billion Thai baht to expand its business. Two billion will be
used to open 500 new outlets, one billion to renovate existing stores, and the rest to develop a
new distribution center in the East.

A 7-Eleven store at Beach Road, Pattaya in Thailand

A 7-Eleven store at Sukhumvit, Bangkok in Thailand

United Arab Emirates

Seven & I Holdings announced in June 2014 that they had agreed a contract with Seven Emirates
Investment LLC to open the first Middle Eastern 7-Eleven in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
during the summer of 2015 The company also said that they had plans to open about 100 stores
in the country by the end of 2017. The first store was opened in October 2015.

Europe
The first European 7-Eleven store was opened in Stockholm, Sweden in 1978.7-Eleven was
available in Spain until 2000 with many stores inside Repsol petrol stations, as well as some
other petrol-stations across the country. 7-Eleven stores are now solely located in the
Scandinavian region of Europe.
The owner of the master franchise for 7-Eleven in Scandinavia is Reitan Servicehandel, an arm
of the Norwegian retail group, Reitan Group. After Reitangruppen bought the filling station
chain, HydroTexaco (now YX Energy), in Norway and Sweden in 2006, it announced that
several of the stores at the petrol stations would be rebranded as 7-Elevens and that the petrol
would be supplied by Shell. Other stores remain under the YX brand.

British Isles
During the 1980s, small 7-Eleven convenience stores were common in the larger towns and cities
of the South Eastern UK. The first shop opened in London, in Sydenham South East London in
1985. The company ceased trading operations in 1997, but considered resuming UK trading in
2014.

Denmark
The first 7-Eleven store in Denmark was opened at sterbro in Copenhagen on September 14,
1993. There are currently 196 stores, mostly in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, and Odense,
including 8 stores at Copenhagen Central Station. In Denmark, 7-Eleven has an agreement with
Shell, with a nationwide network of Shell/7-Eleven service stations, and an agreement with DSB
to have 7-Eleven stores at most S-train stations.

7-Eleven in Strget, Copenhagen, Denmark

Norway
The first 7-Eleven store in Norway was opened at Grnerlkka in Oslo on September 13, 1986.
As of January 2012, there are 162 7-Eleven stores in Norway, more than 50% located in Oslo.
Norway has the northernmost 7-Eleven in the world, situated in Troms. On a per-capita basis,
Norway has one 7Eleven store for every 47,000 Norwegians, compared to Canada, which has
one for every 74,000 Canadians.

7-Eleven in Bergen, Norway

Sweden
Reitan Servicehandel Sverige has held the license in Sweden since December 1997. In the mid1990s period, 7-Eleven in Sweden received adverse publicity due to the unfavourable labour
contracts offered by its then-licensee, Small Shops, an American-based company, resulting in
many stores being sold and closed down. For a time, there were only 7-Elevens in Stockholm
and Gothenburg.
7-Eleven returned to the south of Sweden in 2001, when a convenience store opened in Lund.
Later in the 2000s, the Swedish 7-Eleven chain was involved in controversy when the Swedish
TV channel TV3 exposed widespread fraud on the part of Reitan Servicehandel in its
management of the 7-Eleven franchise, which Reitan Servicehandel eventually admitted to on its
website.
7-Eleven at Mrtenstorget in Lund, Sweden

Turkey
7-Eleven entered the Turkish market in 1989, opening its first store on September 11. Major
stakeholder of the master franchise, zer iller sold his shares in 1993, after his wife Tansu
iller became the Prime Minister. In the 2010s, 7-Eleven left the Turkish market, transferring
most of its stores to franchise owners.

North America
Canada

The first 7-Eleven store to open in Canada was in Calgary, Alberta, on June 29, 1969. There are
484 7-Eleven stores in Canada as of 2013.Winnipeg, Manitoba, has the world's largest number of
Slurpee consumers, with an estimated 1,500,000 Slurpees sold since the first 7-Eleven opened on
March 21, 1970.All 7-Eleven locations in Canada are corporate operated. Like its U.S.
counterparts every July 11 the stores offer free Slurpees on "7-Eleven Day".
A limited number of 7-Eleven locations feature gas stations from Shell Canada, Petro-Canada, or
Esso. In November 2005, 7-Eleven started offering the Speak Out Wireless cellphone service in
Canada. 7-Eleven locations also featured CIBC ATMsin June 2012, these machines were
replaced with ATMs operated by Scotiabank. 7-Eleven abandoned the Ottawa, Ontario, market in
December 2009 after selling all of the six outlets to Quickie Convenience Stores, a regional
chain. Following concerns over the fate of Speak Out Wireless customers, Quickie offered to
assume existing SpeakOut customers and phones into its Good2Go cellphone program.7-Eleven
is similarly absent from the Quebec market due to its saturation by chains like Alimentation
Couche-Tard, Boni-soir as well as independent dpanneurs

A 7-Eleven store with gas station in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada

Mexico
In Mexico, the first 7-Eleven store opened in 1971 in Monterrey in association with Grupo
Chapa (now Iconn) and 7-Eleven, Inc. under the name Super 7. In 1995, Super 7 was renamed to

7-Eleven, which has 1,552 stores in several areas of the country. When stores are located within
classically designed buildings (such as in Centro Histrico buildings) or important landmarks,
the storefront logo is displayed in monochrome with gold or silver lettering. The main
competitors in Mexico are OXXO (Femsa), Super City (Soriana), Farmacias Guadalajara and
other local competitors.

United States
Supermarket News ranked 7-Eleven's North American operations No. 11 in the 2007 "Top 75
North American Food Retailers," based on the 2006 fiscal year estimated sales of
US$15.0 billion. Based on the 2005 revenue, 7-Eleven is the twenty-fourth largest retailer in the
United States. As of 2013, 8,144 7-Eleven franchised units exist across the United States.
Franchise fees range between US$10,000 $1,000,000 and the ongoing royalty rate varies. 7Eleven America has its headquarters in the Cypress Waters development in Irving, Texas. Smallsize Slurpees are free on "7-Eleven Day", on July 11.
7-Eleven Stores of Oklahoma operate independently since 1953 under an agreement with
William Brown, currently led by son James Brown

A 7-Eleven store cobranded with Gulf Oil for gasoline sales in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Fuel
In the U.S., many 7-Eleven locations previously had filling stations with gasoline distributed by
Citgo, which in 1983 was purchased by Southland Corporation (50% of Citgo was subsequently
sold in 1986 to Petrleos de Venezuela, S.A., with the remaining 50% acquired in 1990).
Although Citgo was the predominant partner of 7-Eleven, other oil companies are also cobranded with 7-Eleven, including Fina, Exxon, Gulf, Marathon, BP, Shell, Chevron (some
former TETCO convenience stores were co-branded with Chevron, and Texaco prior to the 7Eleven purchase in late 2012), and Pennzoil. Alon USA is the largest 7-Eleven licensee in North
America.

7-Eleven signed an agreement with ExxonMobil in December 2010 for the acquisition of 183
sites in Florida. This was followed by the acquisition of 51 ExxonMobil sites in North Texas in
August 2011.

Oceania
Australia
The first 7-Eleven in Australia opened on August 24, 1977, in the Melbourne suburb of Oakleigh.
The majority of stores are located in metropolitan areas, particularly in central business district
areas. Stores in suburban areas often operate as petrol stations and most are owned and operated
as franchises, with a central administration. 7-Eleven bought out Mobil's remaining Australian
petrol stations in 2010, converting them to 7-Eleven outlets, resulting in an immediate and
unprecedented overnight major expansion of the brand. In South Australia all Mobil petrol
stations were sold to Peregrine Corporation and Branded as On The Run petrol stations.
7-Eleven stores in Australia sell a wide range of items, including daily newspapers, drinks,
confectionery, and snack foods. They also sell gift cards, including three types of pre-paid VISA
cards. The chain has also partnered with BankWest, placing a BankWest ATM in each of their
stores nationwide. Each year on November 7, 7-Eleven promotes "7-Eleven Day" by giving
away a free Slurpee to customers.
In April 2014, 7-Eleven announced plans to start operating stores in Western Australia, with 11
stores planned to operate within the first year and a total of 75 stores established within five
years. The first store was opened on October 30, 2014 in the city of Fremantle.