7-Eleven owners seek investment from Thai conglomerate to avoid takeover
Founding family of Seven & i said to have approached Charoen Pokphand to avert $47bn Canadian bid
30 January 2025 - 15:24
byAgency Staff
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Japan's Seven & I’s logo is seen at its 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo. Picture: KIM KYUNG-HOON/REUTERS
Tokyo — The founding family of Japan’s Seven & i Holdings is asking Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group to invest in a management buyout of the retailing giant, national broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday.
The founding family is in talks to take Seven & i private to fend off a $47bn takeover from Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard.
Charoen Pokphand is the latest candidate approached by the family to support its takeover effort, which values the convenience store conglomerate at about $58bn and would be the biggest management buyout in Japanese history.
The proposed investment by Charoen Pokphand would be in the order of hundreds of billions of yen and negotiations to determine the figure are ongoing, NHK said.
Seven & i declined to comment on the report. A representative for Charoen Pokphand said they do not comment on speculation.
The Thai retail and food group, which operates 12,000 7-Eleven stores in Thailand, follows Japanese trading house Itochu and US asset manager Apollo Global Management as potential partners the family has reportedly sounded out as sources of funding.
The move would keep Seven & i’s present management in place and relieve pressure to offload unprofitable assets, though some analysts have said it may be intended to induce a higher bid from Couche-Tard.
Seven & i has been under pressure from shareholders in recent years to divest its varied noncore assets, which span supermarkets, speciality stores and restaurant franchises.
In October it announced the establishment of a holding company set to house 31 of its subsidiaries and sources have said US private equity powerhouses KKR and Bain Capital each bid more than $5bn for the spin out.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
7-Eleven owners seek investment from Thai conglomerate to avoid takeover
Founding family of Seven & i said to have approached Charoen Pokphand to avert $47bn Canadian bid
Tokyo — The founding family of Japan’s Seven & i Holdings is asking Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group to invest in a management buyout of the retailing giant, national broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday.
The founding family is in talks to take Seven & i private to fend off a $47bn takeover from Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard.
Charoen Pokphand is the latest candidate approached by the family to support its takeover effort, which values the convenience store conglomerate at about $58bn and would be the biggest management buyout in Japanese history.
The proposed investment by Charoen Pokphand would be in the order of hundreds of billions of yen and negotiations to determine the figure are ongoing, NHK said.
Seven & i declined to comment on the report. A representative for Charoen Pokphand said they do not comment on speculation.
The Thai retail and food group, which operates 12,000 7-Eleven stores in Thailand, follows Japanese trading house Itochu and US asset manager Apollo Global Management as potential partners the family has reportedly sounded out as sources of funding.
The move would keep Seven & i’s present management in place and relieve pressure to offload unprofitable assets, though some analysts have said it may be intended to induce a higher bid from Couche-Tard.
Seven & i has been under pressure from shareholders in recent years to divest its varied noncore assets, which span supermarkets, speciality stores and restaurant franchises.
In October it announced the establishment of a holding company set to house 31 of its subsidiaries and sources have said US private equity powerhouses KKR and Bain Capital each bid more than $5bn for the spin out.
Reuters
Founding family set to buy out Seven & i, sources say
Race for Japanese 7-Eleven owner heats up with founding family bid
Japan’s Seven & i to restructure and focus on convenience stores
Couche-Tard sweetens its offer for Seven & i by a fifth
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