The 7-Eleven at 1712 Springfield Avenue is set to close by May 21, according to a staff member.
The store has recently featured half-empty shelves and “clearance” signs. One neighbor wrote to Village Green, “It is always busy. What is the reason and does SAM [Springfield Avenue Maplewood or the Springfield Avenue Partnership, the management organization for the special improvement district] or the town know what will replace it? It was very convenient to have something like that in the neighborhood.”
“I can confirm the 7-Eleven is closing as part of a corporate downsizing,” Mayor Vic De Luca told Village Green. “I have reached out to the building owner and am waiting to hear back.”
De Luca said that the other 7-Elevens located in Maplewood (one across from Columbia High School and the other at Irvington and Parker) are “franchise owned and not subject to the corporate downsizing.”
In April, the parent company of 7-Eleven announced plans to close 645 convenience stores across North America, including some in New Jersey, as part of an effort to streamline operations and revamp its business model.
Nicole Wallace of the Springfield Avenue Partnership said she spoke with the store manager a few weeks ago and confirmed that “this is a regional decision by corporate. Unlike some other 7-Elevens, this location isn’t owned by a franchisee.”
Wallace noted that there remain some other options in the area for packaged convenience store goods, including:
- Dollar General, 1812 Springfield Avenue
- Maple Chek, 1942 Springfield Avenue
- Wawa, 1511 Springfield Avenue
- Walgreens, 1633 Springfield Avenue
- Dollar Tree, 1713 Springfield Avenue
The 7-Eleven property is owned by 1712 Springfield Avenue LLC which sued the Maplewood Planning Board to open the 24/7 convenience store (the Planning Board approved a negotiated settlement in 2010 after a 2009 application was rejected). The store opened in 2011.
In 2009, neighbors expressed concerns about potential litter, traffic and crime related to a 24-hour business.
Prior to the 7-Eleven, the site was occupied by Mr. Good Lube.
1712 Springfield Avenue as the shuttered Mr. Good Lube in 2009/2010. Photo by Mary Barr Mann.
