7-Eleven, Inc. and its parent company, Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., have agreed to pay a $4.5 million civil penalty to settle allegations from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that the company violated a 2018 consent order. The FTC claimed that 7-Eleven acquired a fuel outlet in St. Petersburg, Florida, without providing the required prior notice to the Commission.
The $4.5 million penalty is the largest ever collected by the FTC for a violation involving failure to provide prior notice of an acquisition. It also represents the largest negotiated settlement for any order violation in the history of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition.
“Under the Trump-Vance FTC, merger remedies that protect competition are once again on the table. But for merger remedies to work, firms must abide by the terms of their consent orders, and we will hold parties accountable when they don’t live up to their commitments,” said Daniel Guarnera, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition. “7-Eleven failed to fulfill the terms of the FTC’s consent order and is now paying a record price. The FTC will not hesitate to protect the public by actively enforcing order violations and seeking penalties against future violators.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed by the FTC in 2023 regarding 7-Eleven's compliance with a 2018 consent order tied to its $3.3 billion purchase of 1,100 retail fuel outlets from Sunoco. That earlier agreement required 7-Eleven to divest certain outlets and notify the Commission before acquiring additional competing fuel outlets in specific local markets.
The St. Petersburg outlet was specifically identified as one requiring prior notice before acquisition under this order. According to the complaint, 7-Eleven purchased this location in December 2018 but did not inform the FTC until March 25, 2022—over three years later. The agency found that 7-Eleven lacked adequate internal controls or systems for ensuring compliance with its obligations under the consent order.
As part of resolving these issues, besides paying civil penalties, 7-Eleven was also required to divest ownership of the St. Petersburg outlet and agree to enhanced requirements for providing advance approval and notice for future acquisitions within relevant markets.
The Commission voted unanimously (2-0) to authorize staff action on this matter.
The Federal Trade Commission continues its mission to promote competition while protecting and educating consumers through enforcement actions such as this one.
