The world’s top convenience store chain, 7-Eleven, has posted a fourth-quarter net loss of US$11.5m, compared with a profit of $17.1m in the fourth quarter of the previous year.

The company’s fourth-quarter revenue rose to $2.6bn from $2.3bn in the year-ago period, while merchandise sales at stores open at least a year rose 4.1%. Fourth-quarter fuel sales were up 32.2% to $760.9m, helped by a steep rise in oil prices.