MONTREAL – The Japanese parent company of 7-Eleven says Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is understating the antitrust risk related to its takeover offer for the company.
In a pair of documents, Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd. says the proposal is a transformational cross-border acquisition involving significant regulatory hurdles unlike other deals done by the Quebec-based convenience store operator.
The Japanese company says it is working with Couche-Tard to evaluate potential divestitures to increase the likelihood of satisfying U.S. antitrust regulators and any potential court challenge.
However, it says it will not enter into a transaction with no clear path to closing that could leave the company in a “value destructive limbo” for multiple years.
In October, Seven & i said it received a revised non-binding proposal from Couche-Tard that media reports suggested were valued at US$47 billion, about 22 per cent higher than an offer it made in August.
A management buyout proposal for Seven & i by a member of the family that helped found the company collapsed last month after it was unable to secure financing.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2025.
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