Wawa, 7-Eleven, and Kwik Trip Are Opening 1000s of New Stores—Here’s When and Where

Wawa, 7-Eleven, and Kwik Trip Are Opening 1000s of New Stores—Here's When and Where - 1

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In today’s economic climate, big, national retailers are shuttering at an alarming rate . CVS and Walgreens both closed tons of pharmacies last year, while long-standing stores like Party City and JOANN went completely out of business. But one sector of the retail market that seems to be fairing decently well is the convenience store, as Wawa, 7-Eleven, and Kwik Trip have all recently announced plans to open thousands of new locations.

RELATED: 54 New Big Lots Stores Will Open Next Month—Here’s Where .

7-Eleven will open 1,300 new stores by 2030.

In 2024, 7-Eleven closed 444 “underperforming” locations across the U.S. and Canada, roughly 3 percent of their 13,000+ stores in North America, reported ABC News .

The convenience store’s Tokyo-based parent company, Seven & I Holdings, cited inflation, slower customer traffic, and declining cigarette sales as the reasons for those closures.

However, things are now looking up. Not only is 7-Eleven on track for a 2026 IPO, but the company just announced that it will open 1,300 new North American stores by 2030. As C-Store Dive first reported, the news came via a fourth-quarter earnings call held last week, in which Seven & I Holdings shared their more ambitious plan.

This includes opening 550 new stores over the next three years, all of which will feature 7-Eleven’s new standard design, which has “a larger product assortment and expanded food and beverage offerings compared to traditional 7-Eleven stores,” explains C-Store Dive.

The company will also increase the number of 7-Eleven stores that feature Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), which include Raise the Roost Chicken & Biscuits, Laredo Taco Company and Speedy Café.

As C-Store Dive notes, there were 1,080 stores with QSRs at the end of 2024, and 50 more will open in 2025, with the number expected to reach 2,100 by 2030. It’s unclear if all of these will be in new locations.

It’s also unclear if this announcement reflects an overall increase in 7-Eleven’s total North American store count. C-Store Dive pointed out: “7-Eleven closed more locations than it opened in fiscal 2024 and expects to do the same in fiscal 2025, according to the company’s 2024 summary.”

The locations have not yet been announced.

RELATED: Sam’s Club Announces Plans to Open New, Cashier-Less Stores .

Wawa plans to open about 700 new stores by 2030.

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Wawa is also ramping up its expansion plans to hit a 2030 target. The convenience store chain currently operates 1,100 stores in the U.S. and expects to hit 1,800 stores in the next five years.

Historically, Wawa stores were only found in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. But in recent years, the company has expanded into Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. The first Wawa in Ohio opened just this week , and the first Indiana store opens next month .

Virginia is one state where Wawa is making a significant investment. Over the next 10 years, it plans to open 60 locations in the western part of the state, up to eight of which will open this year, C-Store Dive reports. These will primarily be along the Interstate 81 corridor, with stores in Staunton and Lynchburg opening this fall.

Kwik Trip is also expanding.

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Midwestern convenience store company Kwik Trip is also expanding, albeit in smaller numbers.

The chain, which operates Kwik Trip, Kwik Star, Stop N Go, and Kwik Sprits, currently has 898 locations across Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

CoStar reports that Kwik Trip will now expand into North Dakota, opening at least four stores in the greater Fargo area, all of which will have car washes.

54 New Big Lots Stores Will Open Next Month—Here’s Where

54 New Big Lots Stores Will Open Next Month—Here's Where - 6

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Big Lots is making a comeback—with the help of Variety Wholesalers, Inc., which acquired 219 locations with the intention of remodeling and reopening them under the Big Lots marquee. On April 10, the discount retailer kicked off its strategic reopening tour, which included nine stores in six states. Now, Big Lots is gearing up for its second wave of openings. This phase will consist of 54 new locations across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and South. Here’s everything you need to know.

RELATED: 11 Things Home Depot Shoppers Can Get for Free .

The 54 remodeled Big Lots stores will have new merchandise categories.

The reimagined Big Lots stores will offer a “treasure hunt” shopping experience, says the press release . Shoppers can expect to score “great deals and unique finds” across the chain’s legacy categories like home decor, health, beauty, toys, and seasonal merchandise. Furthermore, Big Lots is expanding its inventory to include electronics and apparel for the entire family. Along with these new departments, the retailer will also have a new “closeout deals” section, where certain items will presumably be heavily marked down.

10 new Big Lots stores will open in the Midwest.

The second wave of openings will involve 10 locations scattered throughout the Midwest, including in parts of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. According to Fast Company , those set to open on May 1 are:

Michigan

  • Burton : 4157 E. Court Street
  • Flint : 5112 Miller Rd
  • Shelby Township : 7651 23 Mile Rd

Ohio

  • Warren : 4331 Mahoning Ave NW
  • Boardman : 7100 South Ave
  • Alliance : 1965 W State St
  • Wintersville : 498 Cadiz Rd
  • Bridgeport : 56104 National Rd
  • Reynoldsburg : 6300 E Livingston Ave

Indiana

  • Jasper : 195 S US Hwy 231

25 new Big Lots locations will open across the Mid-Atlantic.

Pennsylvania

  • Archbald : 866 Scranton Carbondale Hwy
  • Dunmore : 1010 O’Neill Hwy
  • Lewisburg : 7405 Westbranch Hwy

West Virginia

  • Fairmont : 1228 Country Club Rd
  • Bridgeport : 104 Thompson Dr
  • Elkins : 710 Beverly Pike
  • Charleston : 118 Hills Plz
  • Martinsburg : 110 Eagle School Rd
  • Charleston : 7200 Mccorkle Ave SE

Virginia

  • Winchester : 1090 Millwood Pike
  • Waynesboro : 2715 W Main St
  • Chesapeake : 4300 Portsmouth Blvd
  • Martinsville : 2646 Greensboro Rd

North Carolina

  • Elkin : 1504 N Bridge St
  • Wilkesboro : 1826 W US Hwy 421 Ste K
  • Hickory : 526c US Highway 70 SW
  • Gastonia : 2587 W Franklin Blvd
  • Mount Airy : 1328 Carter St
  • Mocksville : 1063 Yadkinville Rd
  • Clemmons : 100 Westwood Village Dr
  • Forest : 12295 Capital Blvd
  • Roanoke Rapids : 1110 Julian R Allsbrook Hwy
  • Rocky Mount : 955 N Wesleyan Blvd
  • Southport : 4956 Long Beach Rd SE Ste 8
  • Kinston : 2407 N Herritage St Ste E

In the South, 19 new Big Lots are set to open in May.

Alabama

  • Mobile : 5363 Hwy 90 W Ste C
  • Athens : 603 US Hwy 72 W
  • Decatur : 1820 6th Ave SE

South Carolina

  • Rock Hill : 2349 Cherry Rd Ste 79
  • Spartanburg : 1000 N Pine St
  • Simpsonville : 915 S St Ste A
  • Easley : 1023A S Pendleton St

Georgia

  • Fort Oglethorpe : 558 Battlefield Pkwy
  • Cornelia : 323 Habersham Village Cir
  • Valdosta : 110 E Northside Dr
  • Augusta : 2708 Peach Orchard Rd

Tennessee

  • Murfreesboro : 1262 NW Broad St
  • Knoxville : 4825 N Broadway St
  • Rogersville : 420 Park Blvd
  • Cleveland : 840 25th St NW

Kentucky

  • Elizabethtown : 200 Sycamore St Ste 151
  • Richmond : 472 Eastern Byp
  • Danville : 1714 Perryville Rd Ste 400
  • Glasgow : 942 Happy Valley Rd

Big Lots plans to open 156 more stores by summer 2025.

“We’re opening stores quickly so we can serve the community. We know the stores won’t be perfect to start, but each week we’ll add more new products as we build towards the grand opening celebration in the fall. Every time a customer visits Big Lots! we want them to find something new and exciting!” said Lisa Seigie s, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers, in the release.