Key facts
- Seven & i Holdings will receive 300 billion yen ($1.9 billion) in investment from SoftBank Corp. and other partners.
- The investment is part of a strategy to revamp its convenience store business.
- Seven & i Holdings sold its York Holdings supermarket subsidiary to Bain Capital for over $5.5 billion.
- The company aims to open 1,000 new convenience stores in Japan and 1,300 in North America by 2030.
Seven & i Holdings, the parent company of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, is set to receive a significant investment of 300 billion yen (approximately $1.9 billion) from SoftBank Corp. and other partners. This capital infusion is part of a strategic initiative to overhaul its convenience store operations and expand its retail footprint.
In parallel, Seven & i Holdings has completed the sale of its York Holdings subsidiary, which includes supermarket chains Ito-Yokado and Shell Garden, as well as Seven & i Food Systems, to private equity firm Bain Capital for over $5.5 billion. Bain Capital will hold a 60% stake in York Holdings, with Seven & i and the founding Ito family retaining a partial reinvestment.
These moves follow a failed takeover attempt earlier this year by rival retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. Seven & i is embarking on a comprehensive "transformation of 7-Eleven" across all organizational levels. This strategy involves divesting businesses outside the core convenience channel and aims to open approximately 1,000 new convenience stores in Japan and 1,300 large-format, food-focused stores in North America by 2030.