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.

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.

Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard has reiterated its determination to acquire Seven & i Holdings, although the operator of Japan’s top convenience store chain has rejected its offer.

Couche-Tard will hold its first press conference in Tokyo on Thursday since it announced a bid for Seven & i in August as part of its efforts to win over a Japanese public sceptical of a foreign takeover of a prized national asset.