Ahold Delhaize gets green light for Profi acquisition in Romania

The Romanian competition watchdog has approved Ahold Delhaize‘s planned acquisition of local supermarket chain Profi. The retailer now expects to finalise the acquisition quickly.

2.7 billion euros

With the Romanian competition authority’s approval, the last condition for the transaction to take place has been met, meaning it can be finalised by early January 2025. Ahold Delhaize had announced its intention to acquire Profi in October last year.

Profi, formerly belonging to the Louis Delhaize group, has been active in Romania since 2000. In 2016, the group came into the hands of investment fund MEP Retail Investments, part of Mid Europa Partners. The supermarket chain has 1,751 stores and achieved sales of 2.7 billion euros in the twelve months ending June 2024.

Nationwide coverage

Ahold Delhaize is paying 1.3 billion for the chain that will allow the group to strengthen its existing Romanian operations: the retailer already operates there under the Mega Image brand with 977 stores, but they are mainly located in urban areas. After the acquisition, the group will be able to better serve rural areas as well.

“Romania is an attractive market experiencing continued growth in public wealth and spending power, driven by strong economic fundamentals”, Claude Sarrailh (CEO Ahold Delhaize Europe & Indonesia) explained.