7-Eleven’s parent company, the Japan-based retailer Seven & I Holdings revealed that it will invest $2.4 billion over the next four years to open 1,000 new stores in the U.S. while revamping existing

outlets.

The Japanese retailer has been only limitedly vested in its 6,000 U.S. stores in the past few years as it was focused on improving the unit’s internal organization and systems, according to Reuters.

Under the new expansion plan, the company aims to lift product sales, including gasoline, by at least 15% from what it reached in 2006.

Seven & I is trying to boost its presence in the world’s biggest consumer market where competition is expected to further intensify with the entry of new players in the U.S. market such as the U.K.’s Tesco Plc.