TOKYO, March 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Seven & i Holdings ( SVNDF )

said on Monday that talks have begun with Canada's

Alimentation Couche-Tard ( ANCTF ) over a store sale plan that would

set the stage for the latter's $47 billion takeover bid.

Last week, the 7-Eleven convenience store operator named

Stephen Dacus as its new CEO to lead a recovery and respond to

the takeover offer from Couche-Tard.

Seven & i ( SVNDF ) has said U.S. antitrust law would be a barrier

to any deal. The companies are the top two players in the U.S.

convenience store market, with about 20,000 locations between

them.

In a letter to shareholders on Monday, Seven & i ( SVNDF ) said it

proposed that the two companies could map out the viability of a

divestiture process and identify potential buyers.

Couche-Tard "recently agreed" to the proposal that would

allow for an assessment of the Canadian company's buyout offer,

Seven & i ( SVNDF ) said.

Separately, Seven & i ( SVNDF ) said Joseph Michael DePinto

stepped down as a director of the holding company while

remaining the chief executive of 7-Eleven Inc.

Top executives from Couche-Tard are due to visit Tokyo

this week to speak with media about their takeover bid.

Artisan Partners, a U.S.-based investor in

Seven & i Holdings ( SVNDF ), said on Sunday it opposed the Japanese

retailer's CEO succession plan and urged the company to

reconsider Couche-Tard's takeover offer.