Jumbo Groep Holding has confirmed its acquisition of La Place in a deal for an undisclosed amount, agreed to by administers overseeing the bankruptcy of V&D, the restaurant chain’s parent company.
The deal will see the Dutch retailer take over all of the chain’s assets and operations, including La Place’s Restaurants, Food, Cafes, Express and Event Catering arms, with only five to ten branches likely to face closure.
CEO of Jumbo Groep Holding, Frits van Eerd commented, "La Place fits perfectly with our ambition to offer our customers the very best in food and to exceed their expectations of it."
He added that Jumbo has great admiration and respect for the La Place formula, which focuses on offering fresh and healthy foods.
Bart van den Nieuwenhof, managing director of La Place welcomed the deal, saying, "Jumbo and La Place are highly complementary to each other and will be really mutually reinforcing.
"After times of uncertainty, I now look confidently towards our common future."
Jumbo Groep now hopes to strengthen both the La Place and Jumbo brands by leveraging synergies between them, particularly in regards to convenience and food-to-go.
"The traditional separation between supermarkets and food catering is disappearing, noted Van Eerd Our customers want to choose where, when and what they eat.
"While it is still too early to be specific, it is clear to us that there are a lot of opportunities."
The Netherlands' Central Works Council and the trade unions have been informed of the deal and the acquisition will be reported to the Authority for Consumers and Markets.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Jenny Whelan. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
