Dutch retailer Royal Ahold has declined to comment on rumours that it is eyeing the acquisition of Hema, in a deal valued at about EUR1bn (US$1.34bn). The retail group told just-food today (5 April) that it is unwilling to comment on what it termed “market rumour and speculation”.
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Citing unnamed sources, a report in the Financieele Dagblad daily said Ahold was interested acquiring Hema, which primarily sells non-food items such as clothing and household supplies.
Last month, privately held Maxeda put Hema up for sale, stating that it had received interest from potential buyers in the Netherlands and abroad. Hema operates 355 stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg and generated annual sales of approximately EUR1.3bn. .
The report has caused Ahold shares to slip as analysts have questioned the wisdom of diversifying away from its core food retail business. Shares in Ahold fell 1.19% to EUR9.11 at time of press.
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