Toshifumi Suzuki, the Japanese businessman credited with creating the 7-Eleven convenience chain's global retail empire, has died at the age of 93, the company announced Monday.
"Suzuki, an honorary adviser at Seven & i Holdings, died on May 18 of heart failure at his Tokyo home," the company said.
He founded the Japanese unit that operates the seemingly ubiquitous 7-Eleven "conbini" outlets, where busy people can hop in and grab sandwiches, rice balls, drinks, chips and other meals on the run, use ATMs, pay utility bills and copy documents.
The 7-Eleven stores, now numbering more than 80,000 worldwide, are the biggest convenience-store chain in Japan.
The business started in Japan under a franchise agreement with the U.S. 7-Eleven in 1973. The first store opened in Japan the following year.
