Private-equity firm MidEuropa Partners is reportedly looking to sell Romanian retail chain Profi for €1 billion.
The firm has hired investment bank Citi to find a buyer, sources close to the talks told Romanian daily Ziarul Financiar.
Several strategic players are said to be looking at the chain, including international entities with a local presence, such as Ahold Delhaize (owner of Mega Image), Auchan and Carrefour, among others.
According to the newspaper, Polish retailers such as Biedronka, Dino and Żabka also have Romania on their list of plans.
Profi is one of the largest retailers in Romania, with a turnover of €2.4 billion last year and more than 1,600 stores.
Profi Expansion
Profi has been growing rapidly in Romania – both in cities and across the countryside – through its combination of standard, convenience, and small-town stores.
MidEuropa Partners acquired Profi in 2016, from Poland’s Enterprise Investors, for €530 million. At the time, the retailer had about 500 supermarkets and modern convenience stores across Romania.
Since then, the business has tripled in size and the store network has doubled. Profi holds a 8% market share gain in the modern grocery retail segment in Romania.
This is not the first time that MidEuropa Partners has sough to divest Profi. The firm reportedly explored a sale in 2019, but no deal was reached.
It is unclear why the private-equity firm is now looking to sell Profi, but the sale could be part of a broader portfolio restructuring.
In August of this year, the retailer restructured its wine offering around a new brand, Crama Somelierilor, developed entirely by artificial intelligence.
