General
The British online florist Bloom & Wild is taking over its Dutch peer bloomon. Both brands will continue to exist separately and, together, they form the largest e-commerce player in the European flower and houseplant market.
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Fashion
Victor and William Fung, the brothers who are two of the main shareholders in Belgian luxury brand Delvaux, are said to be looking to sell their stake in the 192 years old hand bag producer.
Food
The secret admirer of the Dutch specialist in plant-based meat substitutes Vivera has revealed itself. It is the Brazilian meat giant JBS, giving itself a more future-oriented profile in the run-up to a new attempt to take its American operations to the stock exchange separately.
The takeover of Pearle's parent company Grandvision by EssilorLuxottica seems further away than ever. The Court of Justice in Amsterdam has ruled that the acquirer is not allowed to inspect the accounts of GrandVision, something the Ray-Ban manufacturer has been demanding for almost a year.
French-Italian eyewear group EssilorLuxottica has been given the green light from Europe to acquire Grandvision, but it must sell the GrandOptical and Eye Wish stores.
Carrefour has reached an agreement with Advent International and Walmart to acquire Grupo BIG, the third largest food retailer in Brazil. The retailer sees considerable potential for synergy and growth.
The Wittamer family has sold its renowned patisserie and chocolate business to three investors. The new owners want to grow the brand further in Belgium and abroad.
The French dairy cooperative Sodiaal is in exclusive talks with General Mills in the hope of acquiring the European branch of Yoplait.
American investment company The Carlyle Group takes a majority stake in End., a British retailer of luxury sportswear.
Carrefour has finally completed the acquisition of Supersol in Spain. For 78 million euro, the French chain acquires 172 convenience stores and supermarkets, mainly located in Andalusia and the Madrid region.
King Jouet is now also taking over the six Swiss Maxi Toys stores. Last summer, the French chain already bought the Belgian and French operations of Maxi Toys, which would already have brought growth to the chain.
Vivera, the Dutch producer of meat substitutes, could go into the hands of a new owner. Negotiations are said to be already underway.
Cosmetics
Reckitt Benckiser recorded its highest ever sales growth last year, thanks to Dettol and the coronavirus. The group is now reviewing its brand portfolio to maintain the momentum: Scholl is already on its way out.
Nestlé acquires SimplyCook, a British producer of recipe kits. For the FMCG giant, it is a new step in the direct-to-consumer market.
After the commotion surrounding the takeover bid by Canadian group Couche-Tard, Carrefour chief Alexandre Bompard wants to turn the page. "We are back on the offensive," he states. "But I don't see any big opportunities in France right now."
Danone acquired the American plant-based food manufacturer Earth Island for an undisclosed sum. The French food giant also published its annual results today.
