Tokyo, April 3 - Aeon Co., Asia's biggest retailer by sales, said on Monday it was considering lifting its stake in shopping centre developer Diamond City Co. through a tender offer, as it seeks to boost one of its main profit drivers.
Aeon has been active in expanding its businesses as growth in its core retail operations is expected to slow due to a mature Japanese market and intense competition.
As well as Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s expansion in Japan, Aeon faces a challenge from Seven & I Holdings Co., which will surpass Aeon as industry leader after the 7-Eleven convenience store operator finishes the takeover of Japanese department store firm Millennium Retailing in June.
The Nihon Keizai business daily reported that Aeon would raise its stake in Diamond City to more than 50 percent and would then merge it with mall developer unit Aeon Mall Co. in the business year 2006/07 to boost efficiency. Based on Diamond City's closing share price on Friday, an offer would be worth about 47 billion yen ($400 million) if Aeon, which currently holds 27.4 percent in Diamond City, were to increase its stake to 50.1 percent.
Aeon said it has not yet decided to launch a tender offer and no details, including the size of any stake and the timing, have been decided.
"We are considering a variety of measures to strengthen our developer operations, and lifting our stake in Diamond City is one of the options," an Aeon spokesman said.
Profit from Aeon's mall development business has outgrown its core retail business over the last two fiscal years, rising some 46 percent compared with 4 percent for supermarkets.
Analysts say the Japanese retail industry is ripe for further consolidation this business year as there are too many players fighting for a slice of a mature market. Aeon and Seven & I will likely continue to lead the trend.
Aeon recently bought out delicatessen operator Origin Toshu Co. for $450 million in a rare takeover battle with discount retailer Don Quijote Co.
Media reports last week said that Aeon was set to join the bidding for French retailer Carrefour's South Korean outlets for some $2 billion, although Aeon denied it.
The Japanese retailer bought Carrefour's Japanese operations in 2005.
Shares in Aeon rose 4.38 percent to 2,980 yen by midday, while Diamond City, in which Mitsubishi Corp., Japan's biggest trading house, holds a stake of more than 27 percent, were up 1.1 percent at 5,500 yen.
Aeon Mall climbed 3.92 percent to 6,090 yen. The Nikkei average was up 1.44 percent. ($1=117.60 Yen)