7-Eleven Japan and Lawson have announced plans to independently open a combined 10,000 c-store locations across the Asia-Pacific region by February 2026, reported Nikkei Asia.

Japan’s two largest convenience retailers intend to tap into growing demand from swelling middle-class populations, namely in Southeast Asia.

By February 2026, Lawson and Seven & i Holdings — which operates the 7-Eleven chain — will operate roughly 63,000 sites, compared to 53,000 last February.

Seven & i Holdings was operating about 46,000 sites itself in the Asia-Pacific region as of last February through licensing agreements with local partners.

The company aims to establish a network of 50,000 stores in Asia outside of Japan.

Lawson, on the other hand, plans to open about 6,800 new sites in China and Southeast Asia, which would double its presence to approximately 13,000 stores within the same period.

As Southeast Asia’s c-store market continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, its number of outlets per capita is still about half that of Japan’s, per Nikkei Asia.

As the market continues to grow and retailers look to capitalize on an untapped market, 7-Eleven and Lawson will face stiff competition from a variety of local chains.