In Tokyo, Japan, Seven & i and Alimentation Couche-Tard have agreed to a non-disclosure agreement regarding the potential stores that may need to be sold to meet antitrust regulations in the U.S. if the Canadian retailer were to acquire the Japanese company, according to a spokesperson from Seven & i. The two companies have also signed NDAs with potential buyers for these stores. The agreements were finalized in early March and specifically pertain to stores that could be divested. Last week, Seven & i and Couche-Tard had announced their collaboration in seeking out potential buyers. Couche-Tard had made a $47 billion offer to acquire Seven & i last year, but the latter had been unwilling to sign an NDA and allow full access to its business due to concerns about U.S. antitrust laws. Couche-Tard has expressed that signing a complete NDA would enable them to make a more attractive offer. However, Seven & i has maintained that they must first secure a credible buyer for around 2,000 stores in the U.S., as failing to do so would pose a significant risk in case the deal faced regulatory issues.