TOKYO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Japan's Seven & i Holdings ( SVNDF )

, operator of the 7-Eleven convenience store chain,

reported on Thursday a 24% drop in quarterly operating profit.

Profit fell to 128 billion yen ($809.41 million) in the

September-to-November period from 169 billion yen over the same

period a year earlier.

The results compared to an estimate of a 138 billion yen

profit, based on the average of seven analysts polled by LSEG.

($1 = 158.1400 yen)