7-Eleven in major store milestone

7-Eleven has passed a major milestone as it readies to enter a new global market.

The convenience store giant has topped the 70,000th store mark, with locations in 17 countries and regions around the world, including 11,800 in North America. 7-Eleven will enter a new market this year when it opens its first store in India, expanding the company's operations to 18 countries.

Last year, 7 Eleven opened one store approximately every 3.5 hours. The company said it more locations than any other global chain. 

“Over 93 years we've grown from a small local ice house in Oak Cliff, Texas, to a global and iconic brand that is 70,000 stores strong," said Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven president and CEO. "That strength is due to a relentless focus on meeting the needs of our customers. We'll continue to place our customers at the forefront of all we do.”