Supermarket giant Ahold is in talks with Schuitema to take over more than 50 C1000 stores. It is also considering selling its majority stake of 73% in Schuitema to investment company CVC Capital Partners.
Neither party will talk about money, but it is understood that Ahold will receive a cash sum for its 73% stake in Schuitema as well as the stores.
Schuitema, which announced a 10% drop in profit in 2007 to €35.2m, has 443 C1000 stores, most of them franchises. Ahold says it will integrate any stores it takes over into the Ahold format and that the acquisition fits into its growth strategy.