Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. is Japan's leading retail conglomerate, focusing on convenience store operations through 7-Eleven in Japan and overseas, along with superstore operations and financial services. The company recently divested its department store business.
Seven & I operates the 7-Eleven convenience store chain in Japan and international markets. With over 20,000 stores in its domestic Japanese market, the company has expanded its presence across multiple regions including North America, Asia (including China), Oceania, and Northern Europe. The company's business portfolio includes superstore operations through Ito-Yokado and York Benimaru, as well as financial services through Seven Bank (8410). The company's relationship with 7-Eleven began in 1973 when Ito-Yokado formed a partnership with the U.S.-based Southland Corporation (then operator of 7-Eleven) and established York Seven (now Seven-Eleven Japan). The first Japanese 7-Eleven store opened the following year. In 1991, Ito-Yokado acquired Southland Corporation when it faced financial difficulties. The company transitioned to a holding company structure in 2005, incorporating Ito-Yokado, Seven-Eleven Japan, and other group companies. Millennium Retailing (later Sogo & Seibu), which joined the group in 2006, was sold to a U.S. investment fund in 2023. In 2024, the company received an acquisition proposal from Canadian convenience store giant Alimentation Couche-Tard, accelerating the group's restructuring efforts.