7-Eleven Supersizes with 630 Store Openings Planned for 2012

Convenience giant 7-Eleven is supersizing itself, and quickly too. The retailer broke both its own growth records in 2011 with the addition of 4,600 stores worldwide, including 600 new units in the U.S. and Canada. By the end of this year, 7-Eleven plans to exceed 2011's North American total with 630 new stores.

"7-Eleven's U.S. growth strategy includes building greater market presence and adding quality locations in metropolitan areas where the company already has stores as a means to increase efficiencies and leverage the company's scale and daily-delivery structure," said 7-Eleven president and CEO Joe DePinto in a statement.

Approximately 56% of 7-Eleven's 2011 U.S. store growth was the result of acquisitions that increased store density in New York, Florida, Illinois, Colorado and the Northwest. The most significant purchase was the 188-store Wilson Farms chain, based in Buffalo, NY. Already this year, 7-Eleven has bought 55 locations from Sam's Mart in the Carolinas and 51 from ExxonMobil in North Texas, with additional acquisitions expected to be announced in the coming months.

"Year to date, 7-Eleven already has added more than 200 new locations in North America," said real estate vice president Dan Porter. "We believe we are adding more new locations around the world than any other company and are the second fastest-growing food retailer in the U.S., based on new store openings."

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