The owner of 7-Eleven says that it will need to reduce the costs as US rates affect consumers’ confidence

By Anton Bridge

Tokyo (Reuters) -Seven & Holdings, the owner of the convenience stores 7 -Eleven, said he hopes that he will have to take a tough look at his supply chain and restart -at the costs as North -Americans affect the impact of United States’ rates.

“My assumption is that we will face a slightly more difficult retail environment,” the CEO Stephen Dacus told the journalists at the Japanese retail conglomerate.

The rates imposed and in the works, as the President of the United States, Donald Trump, aims to remodel world trade, prices are expected to push abruptly, assuming difficult challenges for retailers. The sentiment of American consumers deteriorated to the inflation expectations of April and 12 months to the highest level since 1981.

Dacus, an external director who will take the rudder next month, added that the greatest impact of United States’ rates on the company will be on consumer behavior instead of directly to its suppliers.

“In this environment, you have to look stronger your supply chain, you need to ensure -you take advantage of the costs very strongly, so you have a very good control,” he said.

The fact that they are in a bad deal with an acquisition offer of $ 47 billion of the feeding of Canada, Seven and and has been promoted to promote corporate value. Delivering this strategy largely depends on improving its north -American division with more than 12,000 convenience stores.

North -Americans represent 73% of the general sales of seven and I.

Seven and I still plan to list his north -American subsidiary in the second half of 2026, but this will depend on the market conditions at the time and a delay is possible, Dacus said.

“The initial public offer gives us financial flexibility to invest more aggressively in our stores,” he added, adding that it wanted to increase the number of shops with fast service restaurants, as they are more profitable.

Other measures they have taken include selling their Superstore Unit in Bain Capital and starting in an action repurchase program worth about 2 trillion yen ($ 14 billion) until 2030.

The company is related to its Canadian pretender, but it thinks it will be difficult to get the approval of the North -Americans antimonopoli regulators.

Dacus, who previously led the Special Committee in charge of examining Couche-Tard’s acquisition, refused to comment on the state of the negotiations.

“My appointment as CEO had nothing to do with the acquisition offer,” said Dacus. “We are not talking about couche-tard among the management team because we cannot do anything about it,” adding that it was the role of the special committee.

The actions of seven and and were traded around 2,100 yen on Friday morning, well below the supply price of couche-tard of 2,700 yen per action, which indicates the skepticism of investors that an agreement will materialize.

($ 1 = 142,9600 yen)

(Report by Anton Bridge; Editing by David Dollan and Edwina Gibbs)