Japan's Seven & i Holdings is in final-stage talks to invest in Żabka Group, Poland's largest convenience store operator, Nikkei reported on July 16, citing unofficial sources. The news sent Żabka's share price up by as much as 17% during the session before closing 10.87% higher at PLN31.10.

Seven & i is reportedly considering acquiring a double-digit stake in Żabka, with the value of the investment estimated at several hundred billion yen. Poland would become the Japanese group's fourth European market, following Sweden, Denmark and Norway, as Europe is set to become a new pillar of growth for the company alongside Asia and the US. The Japanese group plans to expand its global presence from the current 19 markets to 30 by the end of the decade.

Polish Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański hailed the news.

"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 years to come," Domański told a press conference.

"As the minister responsible for the economy, I see this as yet another example of the attractiveness of the Polish market to investors, in this case from Japan," he added.

Market participants echoed this view. Esaliens TFI investments director Andrzej Bieniek said it was further evidence that global leaders are increasingly viewing Poland and the whole of Central and Eastern Europe as one of the most attractive regions for growth.

"Foreign investors recognise the strong macroeconomic fundamentals, rising consumer purchasing power, relatively high economic growth rates and the fact that many market segments remain less saturated than in Western Europe. For around four years, we have been observing a steady increase in interest in Poland and the CEE region from international investors, both financial and strategic; however, this process is now clearly accelerating and involves increasingly large transactions," Bieniek was quoted as saying by the Parkiet daily.

"Seven & i Holdings is moving away from simply licensing its brand in favour of direct equity investment. The Japanese company wants to bring its best practices to Europe, including a strong focus on catering and fresh food (food-to-go), which fits perfectly with the current business model of the Polish Żabka chain," said Michał Stajniak, deputy director of brokerage XTB's Analysis Department.

The transaction may involve more than 47% of the shares in the Polish company. The Heket Topco fund currently holds 37.7% of the company's shares, whilst PG Investment Company holds 10% of the share capital. The most recent ABB transaction involving Żabka shares took place in autumn 2025, when the main shareholders sold a total of 100mn shares at PLN21.50 (€4.96) per share, representing approximately 10% of the company's share capital.