Walmart leaves Japan by selling Seiyu for US$2.5 billion

On March 5, 2025, the American fund KKR and Walmart (turnover 2024 of US$681 billion, up by 5.6% at constant rates) announced the sale of the Japanese grocery retailer Seiyu, in which they hold 85% and 15% respectively. The buyer, Trial Holdings, will purchase all Seiyu shares (US$2.54 billion) with cash and bank loans by July 1st, 2025. At the end of November 2024, Seiyu had 242 stores and 19,000 employees. Turnover and profitability are not public.

To remember: In 2020, Walmart had already...