Will Fnac Darty be buying hobby store chain Nature & Découvertes?

Fnac, Darty and Vanden Borre may soon be joined by another chain: the group is said to be considering the acquisition of French retailer Nature & Découvertes. The hobby chain currently has 100 outlets, and might prove to be an interesting addition.

Complementary product range

Rumour has it that Fnac Darty will soon be entering into exclusive negotiations with the owner of Nature & Découvertes, according to French newspaper Le Figaro. The smaller chain is specialised in cultural and leisure products, has 100 stores and a 200-million euro turnover, but in France it’s quite well-known.
 

It would be an atypical acquisition, but one that makes sense, according to the newspaper: Nature & Découvertes sells toys, decoration, kitchen equipment and wellness books, among other products. That range complements the group’s current focus on electronics and multimedia. Apparently, there is also quite an overlap in the customer base.

Wider commercial mix

In addition, with an average size of 330 sqm, the smaller urban outlets of Nature & Découvertes are interesting because they match Fnac Darty’s new strategy to aim for more limited formats in central locations. The group has also been pursuing a wider commercial mix recently. For example, Fnac Darty attempted (but failed) to acquire toy chain La Grande Récrée and is rolling out Darty Kitchen corners throughout Darty stores in France. When the group’s annual results were released in February, the retail group announced that they’re ready for new acquisitions, now that the integration of Darty has been completed a year earlier than expected.