Seven & i enters strategic partnership to drive next-generation of convenience
Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd., parent company to 7-Eleven Inc., is partnering with SoftBank, PayPay, LY Corp. and Sumitomo Mitsui Card to enhance its digital capabilities and develop new customer experiences across its convenience store network.
The company and 7-Eleven Japan have entered into strategic partnerships with the technology and financial services companies to connect physical stores with digital services, including loyalty programs, cashless payments, data utilization and artificial intelligence-driven solutions.
Seven & i said the partnerships will create a framework for joint initiatives aimed at improving customer engagement, streamlining store operations and identifying new business opportunities.
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"As consumer behavior and lifestyles become increasingly diverse, and digital services play an increasingly central role in everyday life, consumer expectations for greater convenience continue to rise," Seven & i stated. "For convenience stores, seamlessly connecting physical stores and digital touchpoints to make everyday shopping easier, more engaging and more rewarding for each customer is essential to creating greater customer value, strengthening store performance and driving growth."
The partnerships will build on 7-Eleven Japan’s extensive retail footprint, which includes more than 20,000 convenience stores serving approximately 20 million customers daily. Seven & i plans to leverage SoftBank’s AI, robotics, data utilization and IT capabilities; PayPay and LY Corp.'s user networks; and Sumitomo Mitsui Card’s customer base and payment expertise.
Near-term initiatives include linking user accounts, loyalty points and services to create a more seamless shopping experience, while using data insights and digital tools to improve store operations. Seven & i said the efforts will help build new infrastructure for the future of convenience retail.
Seven & i President and CEO Stephen Hayes Dacus called the partnerships an important step in further accelerating its growth strategy.
"We will make everyday shopping more convenient, rewarding and personalized, while using technology to help franchise owners and employees spend more time on customer-focused tasks," he said. "Through these efforts, we will redefine what convenience means for each customer and accelerate innovation across the group."
Seven & i subsidiary 7-Eleven Inc. is based in Irving, Texas. It operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 12,000 stores in the United States and Canada. In addition to 7-Eleven stores, the company operates and franchises Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company, and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits locations.
This article was originally published in Convenience Store News on July 31, 2026
