Seven & i drama shows Japan convenience stores at crossroads

Country's market has become saturated, with store openings slowing to a crawl

20241126N 7-Eleven

7-Eleven leads Japan's convenience store market, but its growth has slowed considerably. (Photo by Yoko Otsuki)

NAOFUMI NAKAMURA, Nikkei senior staff writer

TOKYO -- The potential takeover of Seven & i Holdings by either its founding family or a Canadian competitor has underscored the increasingly fraught business landscape Japanese-style convenience stores face, with the need to restructure becoming more evident.

The 11th-hour bid by the founding Ito family to step in to prevent a takeover by a foreign competitor appears very much like a last resort.

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