Seven & i in Talks to Acquire Stake in Poland’s Zabka Group

Seven & i Holdings, the parent company of 7-Eleven Japan, is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire a stake in Poland’s leading convenience store chain Zabka Group, according to Nikkei Asia. The move aims to significantly expand the company’s presence in the European market.

Strategic Expansion into Eastern Europe

■Zabka, established in 1998, operates a network of 10,000 franchised outlets across Poland, focusing on food offerings such as coffee and hot snacks.

■Seven & i plans to purchase a stake of "several tens of percent" from a mix of investment funds and existing shareholders, with the transaction valued at several hundred billion yen (approximately $616 million).

■The deal would mark Seven & i’s first major overseas convenience store investment in five years, following its $21 billion acquisition of Speedway in 2021.

Financial Performance and Market Impact

■Zabka is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange and reported revenue of 27.15 billion zlotys ($7.16 billion) for the year ending December 2025, contrasting sharply with Seven & i’s current European footprint of just 360 stores in Nordic countries.

■Seven & i aims to increase its total store count globally from 87,000 to 100,000 by the end of the decade, leveraging Zabka’s extensive network to accelerate growth.

■The company’s Q1 operating income surged 122.4% year-on-year to Y105 billion, while net income rose 95.3% to Y60.6 billion, underscoring its financial capacity for strategic investments.

Global markets are closely watching the deepening of retail globalization through cross-border investments. Zabka’s integration into Seven & i’s portfolio could reshape air freight and cargo logistics demand, particularly for optimized distribution networks tailored to Eastern European consumer trends. Airlines and logistics providers should monitor this development for potential shifts in cargo volume and route planning.