Norwegian discount retailer Europris is preparing for an initial public offering this year, people with knowledge of the matter said.
Europris, owned by buyout firm Nordic Capital, has met with potential advisers and may sell shares in Oslo, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. Deliberations are at an early stage and no final decision has been made, they said.
The Fredrikstad, Norway-based retailer, which has about 200 stores across the Scandinavian country as well as in Iceland, reported revenue of €450 million in 2013, according to Nordic Capital’s website.
The Stockholm-based private-equity firm bought Europris in 2012 from a group of investors led by IK Investment Partners.
Low interest rates and central bank stimulus helped boost the market for mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings in the Nordic region last year.
This success is likely to continue as the European Central Bank’s quantitative-easing program and depreciating local currencies set the stage for a “strong 2015,” Adam Kostyal, head of European listings at Nasdaq OMX Group, said in Stockholm last month.
News by Bloomberg, edited by ESM
