Japanese retail group Seven & i Holdings said that every 7-Eleven store in India had shut by the end of September.
The 31 outlets, all in Mumbai and Pune, were run by Reliance, which held the master franchise under a contract signed in 2021 between Seven & i and Reliance Retail, the retail arm of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries.
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According to media reports, the business did not grow large enough for branded convenience stores to be financially workable, and the outlets had trouble making money as competition stiffened.
A Seven & i spokesperson told Retail Insight Network: “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. We are grateful to our customers in India for their continued support.
“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. At the same time, 7-Eleven International continues to strengthen its global business across existing and new markets to drive sustainable, long-term growth.”
At one time Reliance ran roughly 60 7-Eleven outlets in India, a small presence next to the rest of its retail portfolio.
Kirana stores, the independent grocers found in neighbourhoods, continue to hold sway over urgent buying, while quick-delivery platforms get daily groceries and snacks to shoppers in minutes.
The spread of quick-commerce has left physical convenience stores struggling to bring in enough sales to cover rent, staffing, inventory and distribution costs.
In the financial year to March 2026, 7-India Convenience Retail recorded revenue of about Rs920m ($10.6m) and a net loss close to Rs900m.
Retail Insight Network asked Seven & i whether the closures would result in any job losses.
Lawson, another major Japanese convenience store chain, is preparing to enter the Indian market.It plans to open its first outlet in Mumbai in 2027 and expand to 100 stores by 2030.
