Founder of 7-Eleven Japan Dies at 93 from Heart Failure

JAKARTA — Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of 7-Eleven Japan, died of heart failure on 18 May, according to a statement from Seven & i Holdings on Monday (25 May 2026). Suzuki was 93. Born in Nagano in 1932, Suzuki worked at a book wholesale company before partnering with Southland Corp, the US operator of 7-Eleven, to launch 7-Eleven Japan in 1973, opening his first store in Tokyo in 1974. Citing Reuters, he pioneered data-driven inventory management and a business model centred on ready-to-eat meals, revolutionising Japan’s convenience store industry. Suzuki also led the successful restructuring and rescue of Southland in the early 1990s after the parent company of 7-Eleven filed for bankruptcy due to massive debts. He later founded Seven & i Holdings in 2005, establishing it as a retail conglomerate. An avid reader, he stepped down as chairman in 2016 following management disagreements. Nevertheless, Suzuki remained an influential figure in Japan’s retail sector and was dubbed the “father of convenience stores” in the country.