US lawmakers demand action after Guardian probe into convenience store overcharging

Five members of the US House of Representatives have called out pricing practices at 7-Eleven and Circle K, the country's two largest convenience store chains, in response to an investigation by The Guardian.

The lawmakers described the findings as “enraging,” according to The Guardian, pointing to the investigation's conclusion that the chains frequently charge customers more at the register or at the pump than advertised prices would suggest.

The Guardian's investigation found that these overcharging practices contribute to broader affordability pressures facing ordinary Americans, a theme the responding members of Congress linked directly to cost-of-living concerns raised by their constituents.

The report does not specify which five House members issued the call for action, nor does it detail what legislative or regulatory steps, if any, they are proposing in response to the pricing practices identified at the two chains.

Neither 7-Eleven nor Circle K's response to the lawmakers' criticism, nor to the underlying Guardian investigation, is detailed in the available report, leaving open how the chains plan to address the concerns raised.