Toshifumi Suzuki, who transformed 7-Eleven chain, dies at 93

Toshifumi Suzuki, Japanese behind the 7-Eleven empire, passed away at 93

Toshifumi Suzuki, the architect of 7-Eleven's global expansion and honorary adviser at Seven & i Holdings, died on May 18 in Tokyo at 93 after a heart failure. Under his leadership the chain grew to 80,000+ stores worldwide, with the Japanese subsidiary eventually acquiring the original US parent — a case study in how a licensee can outgrow and absorb the licensor, relevant to any executive evaluating franchise vs. build strategies in retail tech.