Franchises

The Japanese owner of 7-Eleven said Friday it had rejected a takeover bid from Canadian retail giant Alimentation Couche-Tard, saying the proposal "grossly undervalues" the company.

The proposed purchase of Seven & i Holdings would be the biggest ever foreign takeover of a Japanese firm and combine 7-Eleven, Circle K and other brands across Asia, North America and Europe.

Supermarket chain My Market has decided to capitalize on the great demand of the takeaway coffee market by collaborating with the Il Toto coffee chain.

The collaboration has started at the My Market Local store (this is the convenience store chain that My Market is developing with the franchising system) in the Zografou area, where there is an Il Toto store inside the supermarket.

A Swiss entrepreneur recently made one of the most expensive real estate purchases in Athens in recent years, acquiring a penthouse in the Anaktora area near the Presidential Palace for 18 million euros, which equates to approximately 56,000 euros per square meter.

French people are less enthusiastic about the gym than in the US

Hair and beauty salons open

The car rental market in Greece is showing satisfactory growth rates, as from 60,000 a few years ago, the number of vehicles available has now exceeded 100,000. Avis alone acquired 10,000 new cars last year, accounting for 10 percent of all new car registrations in 2018.

Avis car rental company has intensified its presence in Northern Greece with a new station at Alexandroupolis. The new plant is part of the company’s strategic expansion program. Through its creation, Avis is seeking to strengthen existing networks that include 78 rental stations and support customers in all their movements in northern Greece.

Considered one of the most popular dance festivals around the world, the 4th International Istanbul Dance Festival (IIDF) is set to be held between April 2 and 6 at the Hilton Bosphorus Congress Center.

The event will kick off on the night of April 2 with the Cuban salsa band Freddy Clan and Yanssel & Los Amigos Latin Orchestra.