Three firms raided over suspected Seven-Eleven refrigeration bid-rigging

The Fair Trade Commission raided three companies Tuesday over suspected bid-rigging in contracts to supply refrigeration equipment to Seven-Eleven Japan stores, informed sources said.

The FTC searched the offices of Fuji Electric in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward, Nakano Refrigerators in the capital’s Minato Ward and SDRS in the city of Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture, for allegedly violating the antimonopoly law.

According to the sources, the three companies are suspected of having prearranged winners for each prefecture in bids held every few years by Seven-Eleven Japan to select suppliers of refrigerated and frozen display cases for convenience stores across the country.

The successful bidders were in charge of installing refrigeration equipment at newly opened and renovated Seven-Eleven outlets during the contract periods. In recent years, the three companies have won most of the orders from the major convenience store chain operator.

Seven-Eleven Japan buys the equipment and leases it to franchise operators, which account for about 99% of the company’s total outlets in the country.

If competition was restricted through bid-rigging, the alleged conduct may have increased costs for both the chain operator and its franchisees, industry sources said.

The three companies acknowledged being raided by the FTC. Fuji Electric said it would “respond sincerely” to the investigation.

According to data from the Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association, domestic shipments of refrigerated and frozen display cases mainly used at convenience stores, supermarkets and other retailers totaled about 250,000 units in fiscal 2025.