Delhaize officially completes Delta Maxi acquisition

Beligum's Delhaize has completed the acquisition of Delta Maxi market chain, paying EUR 932.5 million for that Serbian retailer.

According to a statement issued by Delhaize, the closing of this transaction has enabled the beginning of integration of the largest market chain in Serbia into Delhaize Group.

Representatives of Delhaize and Delta Holding, part of which is Delta Maxi, signed a sales contract on March 3rd, and the Serbian Commission for Protection of Competition gave its permission for that takeover on July 13th.

Pierre-Olivier Beckers, president and CEO of Delhaize Group, said: "This transaction fits perfectly in our New Game Plan, our strategic plan focused on accelerating profitable revenue growth. The addition of Delta Maxi combined with our existing businesses in Romania and Greece makes Delhaize Group into a leading player in the region. We are looking forward to growing our business in this promising part of Europe."

Kostas Macheras, CEO of Delhaize Group Southeastern Europe, noted: "We are looking forward to continuing to build on the local strengths of the Delta Maxi stores and to strengthen the relationships with local suppliers."

- Delhaize Group will, over the next several quarters, focus on the development of clear strategic plans for pricing, assortment, branding, as well as format management, to ensure the continued successful growth in the region and to ensure the generation of more than EUR 20 million in net annual EBITDA synergies, particularly from improved procurement, better inventory management and optimized finance, IT and supply chain systems and processes from the end of 2013. - ističe se u saopštenju.

Delhaize acquired Delta Maxi for EUR 932.5 million, including the net debt and other customary adjustments amounting to total of EUR 318 million.

Delta Maxi has 15,000 employees and operates approximately 450 stores in Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania. In Serbia, it operates 350 stores and is the largest food retailer in the market.

By acquiring direct control of the company Delta Maxi, Delhaize has also gained indirect control over companies C market, Pekabeta, Primer C, TP Srbija, Zvezdara, Bel investment property, and TP Stadel, people at the Commission for Protection of Competition announced earlier.

The results of Delta Maxi will be consolidated in Delhaize Group's results from August 1, 2011, and will be reported as part of the Southeastern Europe and Asia operating segment.

Delhaize Group is an international food retailer present in eleven countries on three continents. At the end of the first quarter of 2011, Delhaize Group's sales network consisted of 2,816 stores. In 2010, Delhaize Group posted EUR 20.8 billion in revenues and EUR 574 million in net profit.

Delhaize group Belgija

Delhaize Serbia d.o.o. Beograd

Delta Holding d.o.o. Beograd

Komisija za zaštitu konkurencije Srbije

C Market Beograd

Pekabeta a.d. Beograd

Primer C Beograd

Trgovinsko preduzeće Srbija d.o.o. Beograd

Zvezdara a.d. Beograd

BEL Investment Subotica

TP Stadel d.o.o. Kragujevac

Delhaize

Delta maxi

Delta holding

Pierre Olivier Beckers

Kostas Macheras

C market

Pekabeta

Primer C

TP Srbija

Zvezdara

Bell investment property

TP Stadel

Commission for Protection of Competition