Seven & i shares rise on reported Zabka stake deal
Seven & i Holdings shares jumped on a report the 7-Eleven operator is nearing a deal to buy a stake in Polish convenience giant Zabka, marking its first major overseas acquisition in five years.
Seven & i Holdings rose more than 4% on Friday following a report that the Japanese retailer is nearing an agreement to acquire a stake in Zabka Group. The potential transaction, expected to be worth several hundred billion yen, would give the 7-Eleven parent a major foothold in Eastern Europe. Representatives for both Seven & i and Zabka did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Zabka operates more than 10,000 franchised stores across Poland, concentrating on hot snacks and groceries. The prospect of a deal from a deep-pocketed international buyer sent Zabka shares up 10.9% on Thursday, closing at a record high on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. A transaction of this scale would represent a significant premium for the Polish retailer, which was established in 1998.
For Seven & i, an investment in Zabka marks a decisive return to large-scale cross-border dealmaking after a five-year lull. The company has largely focused on integrating its international portfolio since completing the $21 billion acquisition of U.S. chain Speedway in 2021. Moving into Eastern Europe would fundamentally diversify Seven & i’s geographic revenue streams, reducing its historical reliance on North America and its highly saturated domestic Japanese market.
The acquisition is squarely aimed at closing the gap on Seven & i’s ambitious global growth targets. Management has publicly targeted increasing its worldwide store count from 87,000 to 100,000 by 2030. Building a network of that size organically is capital-intensive and slow, making bolt-on acquisitions of established operators a highly efficient growth lever.
For investors, Zabka’s heavy reliance on a franchise-operated model presents a distinct operational profile compared to company-owned store networks. If finalized, the stake purchase would instantly provide Seven & i with a scaled infrastructure in a growing European market. The simultaneous share price surges in Tokyo and Warsaw indicate that investors on both sides view a potential combination as a favorable development for reaching those long-term expansion targets.
