For almost two decades, a Japanese company has controlled ... operator of rival convenience store chain Circle K. In a statement, Seven & i said it would review the proposal after setting up ...

and is "one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States," where it operates under the Circle K banner. 7-Eleven becomes largest-ever Japanese target of foreign ...

Poor performance at the supermarket business hasn’t helped either, making the Japanese company a ripe target for a takeover bid from Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc, which owns Circle-K.