Seven & i to Postpone U.S. Unit IPO

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)--Seven & i Holdings Co. said Thursday that it will postpone the initial public offering of its U.S. convenience store chain unit, 7-Eleven Inc., until at least fiscal 2027.

The Japanese retailer had previously planned to take the unit public in the second half of calendar 2026 as part of an effort to boost corporate value.

In fiscal 2025, which ended in February, the company’s overseas convenience store operations had sales of 8,556.8 billion yen, down 6.7 pct from the previous year, and an operating profit of 222.2 billion yen, up 2.8 pct.

The postponement likely reflects sluggish earnings attributed to consumers, especially low-income earners, seeking to save money on food and other daily necessities amid higher inflation.

Seven & i is aiming to use the 7-Eleven IPO to grow without outside help, after receiving an acquisition offer from Canadian convenience store operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. in the summer of 2024. The Japanese company plans to raise 2 trillion yen through the IPO and use it to buy back its own shares in a bid to raise the stock price.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]