Une entreprise canadienne lance une offre de 7,5 milliards d'euros pour la chaîne de magasins de proximité polonaise Żabka

Alimentation Couche-Tard, a Canadian multinational convenience store operator, has launched a €7.5 billion bid to acquire Poland's Żabka Group, the country's largest convenience store chain. The offer values each share at 32 zloty, translating to a total valuation of 32.6 billion zloty. This move marks a significant expansion for the Canadian company, which already operates over 17,000 stores across 27 countries. The proposed acquisition involves Alimentation Couche-Tard's Polish subsidiary, Circle K, and aims to purchase all of Żabka Group’s more than one million shares. The deal has received preliminary backing from several major shareholders, including Heket, an entity linked to CVC Capital Partners, which holds 37.6% of Żabka’s shares, and PG Investment Company, which controls 10%. A group of individual shareholders collectively owning 9.6% of Żabka’s shares has also committed to selling their stake to the Canadian buyer. These investors include members of Żabka’s management team and former executives who plan to reinvest part of the proceeds into Alimentation Couche-Tard shares. Ipopema Securities, serving as the intermediary in the transaction, announced the tender offer for the remaining shares. Subscriptions for the offer are expected to open around 26 August, pending approval from the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF). The companies anticipate the transaction could close by the end of the year. If finalized, the deal would represent the largest takeover in the history of Alimentation Couche-Tard. Żabka, which operates Europe’s largest network of convenience stores, saw its shares surge following the announcement. On Friday, the stock rose from 29.26 zloty to approximately 31.60 zloty, marking an increase of nearly 8%. The company made its stock market debut in 2024 during one of Europe’s largest initial public offerings that year, with a valuation of around €5 billion. Its listing on the Warsaw Stock Exchange came just months before the proposed acquisition. Żabka currently manages about 13,000 locations across Poland, operated by roughly 11,000 franchisees. The company has also been expanding internationally, with its first stores in Romania. Last year, Żabka reached the milestone of opening its 100th outlet in Romania under its brand Froo. The company’s vice president noted that they are adapting to local consumer preferences and building a sustainable presence in the region. Alimentation Couche-Tard’s CEO, Alex Miller, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting the continued growth of the Żabka business. He highlighted the potential synergies in areas such as food, digital engagement, customer loyalty, private branding, supply chain, logistics, and innovation. The acquisition is expected to allow Żabka to maintain its operational independence and continue leading its brand under existing management. The transaction, once completed, would result in Żabka being delisted from the Warsaw Stock Exchange, just two years after its market debut. This would mark a notable shift for the Polish retail sector, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape of convenience store operations in Central and Eastern Europe.