Don Quijote interested in Seiyu should Walmart sell

TOKYO — Major Japanese discount retailer Don Quijote Co. is interested in acquiring supermarket chain Seiyu GK from U.S. retail giant Walmart Inc., said Koji Ohara, president of Don Quijote.

“If [Walmart] really intends to sell it, we have an interest in it,” Ohara said during a business briefing session his company held in Tokyo on Monday. 

Depending on the conditions, it is possible that Don Quijote will become a major party in negotiations with Walmart. 

“Seiyu has many stores in places where property lots are hard to acquire now,” Ohara said. “If it is really to be on sale, we’d like to examine the case in detail.” 

He declined to talk about whether there have been negotiations with Walmart, saying, “I know only what’s been reported in the mass media.” 

Ohara also did not disclose how far any detailed examination is going. 

In 2007, Don Quijote made midsize supermarket chain operator Nagasakiya Co. an affiliate and reconstructed its management by turning some Nagasakiya stores into Don Quijote brand stores, and through other efforts.

Don Quijote has opened some new-style stores with another affiliate, FamilyMart UNY Holdings Co. These stores are converted from UNY stores in such a way that the products and how they are displayed are the same as at Don Quijote stores. 

Business has been good with the six stores that have been converted this year. The company plans to convert about 20 more UNY stores in 2019.