“Carrefour close to Romanian deal”

Carrefour is reportedly about to sell its Romanian operations to the holding company owned by the Pavăl brothers, who also own the country’s largest DIY chain, Dedeman. This is according to local sources.

Sale already agreed?

According to Romanian news sources, brothers Dragoş and Adrian Pavăl would pay between 750 million and 900 million euros for the acquisition of 460 Carrefour stores of various sizes, which together accounted for a turnover of approximately 3 billion euros last year. According to Gazeta de Cluj, the sale was already agreed on December 16, while other (anonymous) sources say that the transaction could be completed by the end of this year or early next year. None of the parties involved has officially confirmed this news yet.

For the entrepreneurs, this would be their first step into the food sector. They are already the market leader in DIY in the country. In Romania, it would be the next big deal in the retail sector, following the acquisition of Profi by Ahold Delhaize, which was completed at the beginning of this year.

Carrefour is conducting a thorough evaluation of its international activities in order to focus on its core markets. The retailer is also said to be looking for buyers for its divisions in Poland and Argentina. At the beginning of December, rumors also surfaced about a possible departure from Belgium.