Two major c-store retailers in Japan, 7-Eleven and Lawson, are set to open a combined 10,000 new stores in the Asia-Pacific region through the financial year ending in February 2026, according to NikkeiAsia.

Following the saturation of their home markets, Nikkei Asia states that the retailers “intend to tap growing demand from swelling middle-class populations, especially in Southeast Asia.”

Lawson and Seven & i Holdings, parent company of 7-Eleven, are expected to top 63,000 combined stores in the Asia-Pacific region by February 2026, a 10,000 store increase from the companies 53,000 store count from last February.

As of last February, Seven & i Holdings was operating 46,000 Asia-Pacific stores through licensing agreements. The company plans to add about 3,600 stores in the next three years to build a network of 50,000 stores outside of Japan.

Lawson intends to double its entire Asian presence by opening approximately 6,800 stores in China and southeast Asia.

According to Nikkei Asia, “Southeast Asia's convenience store market is growing at a double-digit annual rate. Its number of outlets per capita is about half that of Japan's, indicating there is much room for further growth.”

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