Seven & I Holdings Inc., the parent to U.S. division 7-Eleven Inc., recently sent 50 department heads to America in an effort to turn the
company’s Japanese brick-and-mortar stores into an online retail empire. Seven & I CEO Toshifumi Suzuki asked the department heads to visit retailers such as Macy’s Inc., shopping
malls and Internet companies -- who use omnichannel integration -- to see how 7-Eleven Japan can marry a physical store presence with an online presence to boost sales.