German retail giant Metro Group has confirmed to just-food that it is in talks with “potential interested parties” over the future of its Real hypermarket chain.
Financial daily Handelsblatt had reported this morning (28 June) that Metro was in talks to sell Real. The newspaper also said was considering a listing of its Kaufhof department store unit.
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A spokesperson for Metro told just-food today that it would not comment on speculation about its portfolio development.
However, the spokesperson added: “There are no concrete negotiations with regard to Real. We are considering options that have resulted from the good development of Real. Based on these options, we are conducting initial, descriptive talks with potential interested parties.”
The Metro spokesperson refused to be drawn on the identity of the “interested parties”.
Wal-Mart Stores has been reported as a possible buyer of Real, yet the retailer declined to comment when contacted by just-food.
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By GlobalDataAn acquisition of Real would see the US retail giant return to Germany five years after it quit the country. It entered the German market in 1998 but left in 2006 when it sold 85 hypermarkets to Metro.
