Alimentation Couche-Tard,Esthen a Canadian multinational operator of convenience stores, wants to buy the Japanese company that owns 7-Eleven, the companies confirmed Monday.

Couche-Tard said in a news release Monday it had "recently submitted a friendly, non-binding proposal" to Seven & i Holdings and that it is "focused on reaching a mutually agreeable transaction that benefits both companies' customers, employees, franchisees and shareholders."

Seven & i Holdings, which operates more than 80,000 7-Eleven stores worldwide, confirmed in its own news release Monday it had received the proposal and that the company's board of directors has formed a "special committee" to review the proposal.

The company also said it intends to conduct a "prompt, careful, and comprehensive" review of the proposal, after which a response will be made to Couche-Tard. The value of the buyout offer was not disclosed by either company.

According to the news release, Couche-Tard operates nearly 17,000 stores in 31 countries and territories, and is "one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States," where it operates under the Circle K banner.

7-Eleven becomes largest-ever Japanese target of foreign buyout

The potential transaction makes Seven & i Holdings the largest-ever Japanese target of a foreign buyout, Reuters reported Monday.

The news outlet reports that unlike some U.S. convenience stores, 7-Eleven locations in Japan resemble smaller supermarkets, stocking items such as toiletries and clothing.

Seven & i shares surged by almost 23% in Tokyo Monday, Reuters reports, bringing the retailer's value to around 5.6 trillion yen, or about $38 billion. Couche-Tard is valued at roughly $58 billion.

Contributing: Makiko Yamazaki, Kane Wu and Anton Bridge, Reuters

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].