7-Eleven parent's leadership picks backed by US proxy adviser
TOKYO -- U.S. proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Service has endorsed Seven & i Holdings' new leadership appointments, including Stephen Hayes Dacus as CEO and Vice President Junro Ito as chairman.
With no competing proposals ahead of the 7-Eleven parent's general shareholders meeting in late May, the ISS endorsement is seen as a boost for the leadership team, which seeks to keep the company independent in the face of a buyout proposal by Canadian retailer Alimentation Couche-Tard.
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Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
In Canada lake, robot learns to mine without disrupting marine life
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Asahi Shimbun
a day ago
- Asahi Shimbun
Japan-U.S. tariff talks still draw a blank at fifth meeting
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The Mainichi
4 days ago
- The Mainichi
Convenience stores FamilyMart, Lawson, 7-Eleven to sell reserve rice released by Japan gov't
TOKYO -- Major convenience store chains FamilyMart, Lawson and 7-Eleven are set to begin selling reserve rice released by the Japanese government after signing negotiated contracts. Agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi revealed to reporters June 3 that contracts targeting small and medium-sized businesses had been signed with FamilyMart Co. and Lawson Inc., while Seven-Eleven Japan Co. announced the same day that it had also concluded a contract to buy the stockpiled rice. The convenience store chains are considering selling the rice in a form accessible to consumers. FamilyMart announced June 4 that it would start selling government rice produced in 2021 from June 5. The rice will be priced at 388 yen (some $2.70) for 1 kilogram, including tax, with sales limited to one bag per person. FamilyMart had applied to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for 1,000 metric tons of the stockpiled rice. After it is milled and packaged, sales will start at 10 stores each in Tokyo and Osaka on June 5, with plans to gradually expand to other stores nationwide. Ahead of Koizumi's statement, Lawson announced on June 3 that it would sell the 2021 rice it applied for in small bags, at 700 yen for 2 kg and 360 yen for 1 kg, excluding tax. It will begin selling the rice in as little as three days after delivery, aiming for nationwide sales in a week. In a news conference, Lawson Inc. President Sadanobu Takemasu commented, "There are senior customers living alone and customers who come shopping morning, noon and night. We will sell it in small packs first to meet people's needs." Apart from the stockpiled rice, Lawson will also sell rice balls made from older rice available on the market. Starting in July, it plans to sell these in the Kanto region for around 120 yen (about 83 cents) each excluding tax. "Customers have told us they want to try the older rice, and that they want to make their own judgment. We've only managed to procure 2 tons, but we hope to offer the rice balls widely and hope people will evaluate them," he said. The company also announced that it would call the older rice "vintage rice." "It's very difficult to say komai (old rice or last year's rice), kokomai (rice from two years ago), and kokokomai (rice from three years ago)," Takemasu said. "There hasn't been a very good name until now, but we want to call the 2022 rice 'Vintage 2022' to make consumption exciting and enjoyable." Seven-Eleven Japan has applied for 500 tons of the reserve rice. It says it will emphasize the "convenience" of convenience stores, and plans to sell rinse-free rice, priced at around 800 yen for 2 kg (excluding tax). It aims to have the rice available in stores three days after government delivery and to expand sales nationwide sequentially.
