Seven & i is considering an investment in Żabka

According to a July 16 report by the Japanese business newspaper Nikkei, which cites sources familiar with the matter, the Japanese retail group Seven & i Holdings is in advanced negotiations to acquire a stake in the Żabka Group, Poland’s largest convenience store operator. The news caused Żabka’s stock price to rise by as much as 17% during the trading day before the stock closed up 10.87% at 31.10 PLN.

Seven & i Plans Investment

According to reports, Seven & i is considering acquiring a double-digit stake in Żabka. The value of the potential investment is estimated at several hundred billion yen. Poland would be the Japanese group’s fourth European market, following Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Europe is set to become another key growth pillar alongside Asia and the U.S. Seven & i plans to expand its global presence from the current 19 markets to 30 by the end of the decade.

Government Sees It as a Vote of Confidence

Polish Minister of Finance and Economy Andrzej Domański welcomed the reports of the potential investment.

“As far as I know, the Japanese investor is considering acquiring a double-digit stake in Żabka. I think this is a sign of confidence in the Polish economy, in the strength of our market, and in the fact that our economy will continue to grow in the coming years,” Domański said at a press conference.

“As the minister responsible for the economy, I see this as yet another example of the Polish market’s appeal to investors—in this case, from Japan,” he added.

Experts Expect Further Interest

Market observers also view this development positively. Andrzej Bieniek, investment director at Esaliens TFI, sees this as further evidence that international corporations increasingly view Poland and the entire Central and Eastern European region as an attractive growth region.

“Foreign investors recognize the strong macroeconomic fundamentals, rising consumer purchasing power, comparatively high growth rates, and lower market saturation compared to Western Europe. For about four years, we have been observing a steadily growing interest in Poland and the CEE region among international financial and strategic investors. This trend is now accelerating significantly and increasingly involves larger transactions,” the daily newspaper Parkiet quoted the expert as saying.

Michał Stajniak, deputy head of the analysis department at the brokerage firm XTB, emphasized that Seven & i is changing its international strategy.

“Seven & i Holdings is moving away from a pure licensing model and increasingly focusing on direct equity investments. The company aims to establish its proven concepts in Europe, including a strong focus on catering as well as fresh food and to-go offerings—an approach that fits perfectly with Żabka’s business model,” said Stajniak.

Majority Stake Possible

The transaction could involve more than 47% of Żabka’s shares. The Heket Topco fund currently holds 37.7% of the company’s shares, while PG Investment Company owns an additional 10% of the share capital.

The last major ABB transaction involving Żabka shares took place in the fall of 2025. At that time, the major shareholders sold a total of 100 million shares at a price of 21.50 PLN (4.96 euros) per share. This represented approximately 10% of the company’s share capital.