On Wednesday the Nikkei business daily reported Walmart would sell the supermarket chain and had approached major retailers and private equity funds, with a deal likely to raise US$2.7 billion to US$4.5 billion.

“Walmart has not made a decision to sell Seiyu. We are not in any discussions with prospective buyers, and we continue to build our Japan business towards the future to meet the changing needs of customers there,” a spokesperson for Walmart told Reuters.

Seiyu, with more than 300 stores, would be a large asset for a Japanese retailer to absorb. Japan has become a growing focus for overseas private equity funds.

Japanese supermarkets are struggling with low profitability in the face of competition from online retailers, discount drugstores and convenience stores.

Earlier this year Walmart announced it was launching an online grocery delivery in Japan with e-commerce firm Rakuten Inc.