KKR acquires Nexeye to facilitate expansion

Private equity giant KKR has acquired Dutch eyewear group Nexeye (Hans Anders, Eyes + More) from British 3i. The new owner wants to enable further expansion, both in current and new markets.

Expansion to Spain

Nexeye currently operates in five countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands), but plans to use the acquisition to expand into Spain and Portugal as well. The group also sees room for further expansion in its existing markets, particularly Germany and Sweden, Dutch newspaper FD reports.

In early March, rumours surfaced that 3i had put Nexeye up for sale, but that interest was rather limited. At the time, the British fund estimated the value of Nexeye at half a billion euros.

Nexeye was created in 2022, when 3i rebranded the Hans Anders group following a series of acquisitions. Its new owner KKR is a familiar name in the retail sector, owning Dutch bicycle giant Accell (Raleigh) and acquiring Unilever’s butter and margarine branch in 2018. The fund also attempted to acquire British supermarket chain Asda and French Casino.