Canada’s operator of convenience stores Alimentation Couche-Tard failed in its bid to take over Japan’s Seven & i, the owner of store chain 7-Eleven.
Couche-Tard, which operates the Circle-K chain, approached Seven & i back in August with a $38.5 billion proposal in what would be the biggest takeover of a Japanese company by a foreign investor. However, Seven & i ended up refusing the offer, saying it wasn’t in the best interest of its shareholders.
Additionally, 7-Eleven owners expressed concerns that the proposed deal might be rejected by U.S regulators considering it would create the biggest convenience store operator in the country by a large margin.
“We do not believe, for several critical reasons, that the proposal you have put forward provides a basis for us to engage in substantive discussions regarding a potential transaction,” the special committee formed by Seven & i said in a letter.
However, Couche-Tard doesn’t seem to be willing to take no for an answer. Issuing a statement on Sunday, the company said it intends to continue pursuing the takeover and would be open to engage in “confidential discussions “with Seven & i. Additionally, Couche-Tard is willing to divest some of its assets and make other exemptions in order to get regulatory approval in both the U.S. and Japan.
“Given the mutual benefits of a combination, we are disappointed in 7&i’s refusal to engage in friendly discussions. We are highly confident that collaborative discussions would lead to our ability to find increased value for 7&i shareholders,” Couche-Tard said in a statement.