Ahold Delhaize Sells 87 Romanian Stores to Annabella

In a significant move, food retailer Ahold Delhaize has announced that it will be selling 87 of its stores across 44 localities in Romania to the local supermarket chain Annabella. This divestment is a fulfilment of the company's obligations set by the Romanian Competition Council (RCC) in relation to Ahold Delhaize's acquisition of Romanian grocery retailer Profi Rom Food in January 2025.

The deal, which is set to be finalized by the end of 2025, includes 82 stores operated by Profi and five by Ahold Delhaize's other supermarket brand in Romania, Mega Image. Annabella, a company with more than three decades of market presence in Romania, currently operates 118 stores across the country.

According to the RCC president Bogdan Chirițoiu, this acquisition will allow Annabella to enter new markets where it has not been present before, such as Cluj, Bihor, Timiș, Bacău, Vrancea and Constanța, making it a new competitor in the Romanian retail sector. The RCC has given its preliminary approval, with the final approval to be granted upon authorization of the transaction.

The sale of these stores is a significant development in the Romanian retail landscape, as it follows Ahold Delhaize's acquisition of Profi in January 2025 for an enterprise value of €1.3 billion ($1.37 billion). This acquisition had increased Ahold Delhaize's retail presence in Romania, where it operates close to 1,000 stores under the Mega Image banner.