KUALA LUMPUR: CP Axtra Public Co Ltd has announced to the Stock Exchange of Thailand that its wholly-owned subsidiary Lotus's Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd will acquire supermarket chain operator The Food Purveyor Sdn Bhd for RM1.66bil from private equity firm Navis Capital.
The company said the purchase of the entire issued and paid up capital of The Food Purveyor - which currently operates five supermarket brands including Village Grocer and Ben’s Independent Grocer (B.I.G.) - is expected to strengthen its retail position in Malaysia and aligns with its long-term strategic plan for regional expansion.
CP Axtra, the retail and wholesale arm of Thailand-based CP Group, has operated Lotus's in Malaysia since the acquisition of Tesco Malaysia in December 2020. With the addition of The Food Purveyor's 50 stores, CP Axtra would have a nationwide network of more than 120 outlets.
Apart from Village Grocer and B.I.G, The Food Purveyor also owns BSC Fine Foods, Leisure Grocer, Pasaraya OTK and an e-commerce platform “Bites Shop”.
The acquisition is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year, subject to regulatory approvals, said CP Axtra in its stock exchange filing.
