Japan says Seven & i now 'core' to national security

This file photo taken on Oct 4, 2022 shows customers walking out of a 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo. -Photo by Richard A. Brooks / AFP

TOKYO: Japanese retail giant Seven & i Holdings has been classified as "core" to national security, according to an updated finance ministry list released on Friday.

The new classification comes a week after Seven & i rejected a $38.5 billion buyout offer from Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard. Couche-Tard is discussing potentially raising its offer price, according to a Bloomberg report.