Tard will continue its friendly pursuit of Seven & i, executives said, even as they vented their frustrations over the slow progress in acquisition talks with the Japanese owner of the 7-Eleven convenience-store chain.

What can you do when you can’t go hostile in a deal? For Alimentation Couche-Tard , the answer is a press conference. On Thursday, the Canadian owner of the Circle-K convenience store chain made the case for its takeover of Japan’s Seven & i to local media in Tokyo - a first since launching a $47 billion offer in August.

Canadian convenience store and gas station operator Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. said it won’t go hostile in its attempt to acquire long-time rival Seven & i Holdings Co.