Nicola Sabatelli’s Post

I would like to share an interesting cross-border acquisition. On 17th of July Fnac Darty announces its intention to acquire Unieuro S.p.A., Italy’s leading distributor of consumer electronics and domestic appliances. This strategic acquisition, in partnership with Ruby Equity Investment, aims to bolster European leadership in specialized retail. Key Highlights: 🔹 Mixed Public Offer valuing Unieuro at €12.0 per share 🔹 Combined entity to exceed €10 billion in revenue and employ nearly 30,000 people 🔹 Strong operational and geographical complementarities 🔹 Projected synergies of over €20 million 🔹 EPS accretion above 10% from 2025 This move aligns with both companies' ambitions to enhance omnichannel presence, expand services, and promote sustainable consumption. As Enrique Martinez, CEO of Fnac Darty, states, "This project supports our collective ambition to be the essential ally for European consumers." Want to know more about the latest trends and insights in the consumer electronics market? Check out our comprehensive Cross-Border Commerce Europe TOP 100 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS 2024 Report today! https://lnkd.in/ga7AWbaV #CrossBorderCommerce #EuropeanRetail #MergersAndAcquisitions #FnacDarty #Unieuro #StrategicGrowth #ConsumerElectronics #Marketresearch

I'm thrilled to share that last 15th of November Fnac Darty has successfully acquired a 91.1% stake in Unieuro S.p.A., Italy’s leading electronics and appliance retailer, alongside partner investor Daniel Kretinsky. This acquisition marks a strategic move to consolidate their position as a European leader in specialized distribution. With this acquisition, Fnac Darty plans to delist Unieuro, integrating operations to create a seamless cross-border network that spans over 1,500 stores, 30,000 employees, and generates over €10 billion in annual revenue. As the European market evolves, this integration represents a forward-looking approach in retail – expanding beyond borders to offer customers better access, more innovative services, and a unified experience. 👉 Follow Cross-Border Commerce Europe to stay updated with latest news in the retail market! #RetailInnovation #CrossBorderCommerce #FnacDarty #Unieuro #EuropeanExpansion #Leadership #Retail

Fnac Darty's takeover bid of Unieuro S.p.A. is a good reminder of an industry that's seeking change to grow and attraction. Operating brick-and-mortar stores is expensive, and being a specialized reseller in Europe is not an easy prospect. It's not only the Fnac/Darty - Unieuro Story. To mention a few: - Currys plc sold it Greek and Cyprian Kotsovolos-Κωτσόβολος to local PPC S.A.. - CECONOMY (MediaMarkt) sold its Portuguese branch to Fnac/Darty last year, and its Swedish branch to POWER International AS - JD.COM had a takeover-bid of Currys earlier in the year, but pulled out. - BCC in the Netherlands went bankrupt in 2023. So what are some of the tactics seeking to help this channel segment: ➡ Building scale: This will cause consolidation towards a few players, but might be what's required to succeed in the long-run. FNAC/Darty is currently expanding the most in the region, likely backed by ambitions from it's largest shareholder Vesa Equity Investment. ➡ New capital (and ideas): A new wave of investors is expected to come in from outside Europe. I think it will be key for these to contribute new ideas as well to help reignite interest in electronics retail. The long-term development of the stock prices makes the electronics retailers attractive to new investors, although it still comes with a high risk (just look at the graph below!) ➡ Subscription services to find steady revenue and higher margin products. Examples of what is added includes comprehensive after-sales support and loyalty reward schemes. ➡ Launching marketplaces: To compete directly with ecommerce giants such as Amazon and Alza.cz a.s.. Although it might come at a risk of not delivering to the same standard customers can get from buying directly from the retailer. What do you think is missing to rebuild moment for the consumer electronics channel? What should OEMs do to best support their channel partners?

Kmart, once one of America's leading discount retailers, is closing its last full-size store in the mainland United States. ➡️ The Long Island store closing will close one more chapter in the disastrous 2005 merger of Sears and Kmart, one of numerous iconic retailers killed after purchases by hedge funds and private equity firms. ➡️ The stores were also doomed by competition with more successful big box competitors such as Walmart and Target, which offered shoppers groceries as well as clothing, household goods and tools sold at Kmart and Sears, along with the growth of online shopping. Read more from CNN's Chris Isidore: https://cnn.it/4ebqV60

With the recent acquisition of Revel by Shift4, many payment companies are once again reconsidering their POS options 😩 As we’ve seen with these acquisitions in the past, the purchaser solicits and forces merchants to switch to their processing, leaving you, the reseller out of the deal entirely. Check out a few reasons why resellers are switching to Vivid Commerce: 1️⃣ Eliminate Attrition and prevent solicitation from Shift4 2️⃣ Agnostic, long-term solution that helps grow your payments & POS portfolio 3️⃣ Reuse existing hardware, lowering conversion costs Explore your next POS opportunity: www.hellovivid.com #Shift4 #Revel #PointofSale #Payments

The Container Store’s sales have been on a downward trajectory. It posted a fiscal fourth-quarter sales decline of 20.7% in the period that ended March 30. It hasn’t achieved a full-year profit since 2021. The NYSE has even threatened to delist its stock as it is trading as a penny stock, and more trouble might be on the horizon for the Dallas-based national chain of 102 stores. But here’s the surprise. The Container Store is still expanding its brick-and-mortar presence. It plans to open four new stores in fiscal 2024, as well as relocate one store and close one store.

Today I wan to share secretsales' acquisition of Afound from H&M Group, expanding its footprint in the European retail landscape. This acquisition solidifies Secret Sales’ position as a key player in the off-price sector, enabling the platform to offer even more variety with access to 3,800+ European brands. Afound, which has operated as a digital marketplace since 2018, will retain its identity but will now integrate Secret Sales’ advanced technology platform. This not only boosts Secret Sales' reach but also opens up new opportunities for brands, particularly in the Nordic region, to reach a wider customer base across multiple countries. With this strategic acquisition, Secret Sales is poised for continued growth in 2025, with more expansion plans already in the works. 🌍📈 👉 What do you think this means for the future of off-price retail in Europe and beyond? 👉 Follow Cross-Border Commerce Europe to stay updated! #CrossBorderCommerce #RetailGrowth #Ecommerce #OffPrice #MergersAndAcquisitions #SecretSales #Afound #NordicExpansion #RetailInnovation #Fashion

Retail buyers are usually reserved or guarded for various reasons. Their goal is to get the best products at the best price with the best profit margin. How do I know? I was a buyer for two different billion-dollar retailers before founding Retailbound. Check out our video on how to prepare, present, and succeed at your next meeting with a retail buyer. https://lnkd.in/g67W8gQx #retail #retailtips #newproductlaunch #productstartups

🌟 Lulu Retail Launches UAE’s Biggest IPO of the Year: $1.8 Billion🌟 Lulu Retail Holdings, one of the Middle East’s most prominent hypermarket chains, has officially launched its IPO, marking one of the largest public offerings in the UAE this year. Here’s a quick look at what this means for the market: 📈 Offering Details The IPO, launched on Oct. 21, will run until Nov. 5, with trading set to begin on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) on November 14. Scope Lulu is offering over 2.582 billion shares, representing a 25% stake in the company, aiming to raise an estimated $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion. 🌍 Regional Retail Boom The IPO is launched amid a Gulf-wide retail spending surge, driven by robust consumer demand for local brands, especially as grassroots movements encourage supporting regional products. The Middle East’s retail landscape is becoming more dynamic, as seen in recent IPOs like Spinneys and Saudi Arabia’s BinDawood Holding. 📊 Financials at a Glance In the first half of 2024, Lulu’s revenue rose 5.6% to $3.9 billion, fueled by expanding store networks and online channels. For 2023, revenue reached $7.3 billion, a 5.6% increase year-on-year. Core earnings grew to $391 million in H1 2024, a 4.3% rise, while annual core earnings hit $753 million in 2023, up 7.2%. 💸 Dividend Commitment Lulu is set to distribute 75% of its after-tax profits twice a year, offering investors a strong dividend commitment, subject to market conditions. Lulu is a key player in the GCC Founded by Yusuff Ali in 1974, it is positioned as one of the region's leading retail chains, with over 240 stores across GCC countries and strategic expansion plans, particularly in Saudi Arabia, where consumer loyalty to regional brands is growing rapidly. Joint Lead Managers: Supporting this major listing are Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC, Emirates NBD Capital PSC, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, and EFG Hermes UAE LLC, combining regional expertise and global financial know-how to ensure a successful launch Source: Public Releases 🌐 Repost if you found it helpful! Like if you enjoyed the post. Will you be keeping an eye on Lulu's journey on the ADX? Share your thoughts below! #LuluIPO #UAEFinance #GCCMarkets #InvestmentNews #MiddleEastBusiness #GCCRetail #AbuDhabiExchange #Investment

Since going public in 2012, discount retailer Five Below has grown its nationwide store count from less than 250 locations to more than 1,600. Despite an impressive few years of growth, things have taken a turn for the worse in 2024. The company's share price fell to a 52-week low in the first week of June as the company grapples with mounting shrink, or inventory losses from various sources; inflationary pressure; and overseas competition. Here's why Five Below is so volatile: cnb.cx/45AUWZl