7-Eleven to more than double its number of U.S. stores

Seven-Eleven Japan Co. has set the goal of bringing its number of U.S. stores from 8,500 to 20,000, President Kazuki Furuya said.

Seven-Eleven Japan, a unit of Japanese retailing giant Seven & I Holdings, targets overall growth in its two biggest markets, Japan and the U.S., reports The Japan Times.

After introducing Japanese-style product development and services through personnel exchanges with Seven-Eleven Japan, the U.S. convenience store chain is prepared to expand its business, Furuya said.

Seven-Eleven Japan took full control of 7-Eleven Inc. of the U.S. in 2005.

Furuya explained how the target customers for its U.S. stores is shifting from lower-income people to middle-class families, with the quality of the products improving over the years.