Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

A 7-Eleven employee confirmed Friday that the store, located at 213 State St., is closing next week. Benderson Development Company Director of Land Development Kim Fiedler said 7-Eleven chose not to renew its lease with the company, which expires May 31. 

Most of the store's merchandise, including drinks, snacks and medicine, is marked down 50-percent. Cigarettes, tobacco and e-cigarette products are not included in the sale, according to signs posted on the store's front door. A for lease sign is posted outside the convenience store. 

7-Eleven's parent company Seven & I spent $3.3 billion to purchase over 1,000 stores from Sunoco, according to an . The sale was finalized in 2018. As part of the sale, 7-Eleven agreed to buy gasoline from Sunoco for 15 years. According to the article, Sunoco is trying to get away from operating convenience stores and solely focus on its gasoline business.

There is a Sunoco convenience store and gas station located down the street from 7-Eleven at 160 State St. 7-Eleven did not respond to several e-mails sent by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV to confirm if the closure is related to the recent purchase. 

7-Eleven came to Auburn after the company chain of convenience stores in 2011. Fiedler said the State Street store opened in August 2012. 

Benderson is searching for a new tenant to occupy the store, Fiedler said. If anyone is interested in leasing the space, contact Fiedler at (800) 531-3312. 

"We buy our properties based on locations and we think this is a good location for a variety of uses," he said. "We're beginning our marketing efforts and hope we find a good replacement for that spot."