According to various financial media, such as Expansión or La Vanguardia, the DIA supermarket group closed 2022 with the announcement of the sale of its network of Clarel perfumeries and drugstores made up of 1,015 establishments distributed throughout the country and three distribution centers, in addition to others active.
This agreement with the investment fund C2 Capital Partners puts an end to the short history of Clarel. “We are very excited about this operation and we will make our best efforts so that the company continues to grow with the help of all its professionals. We believe that Clarel has a great brand with a strong presence in important areas of the country, which we want to consolidate while we will strengthen its operations in other areas where there is good capacity for expansion and room for growth”, comments Carlos Galindo from C2.
Created in 2013, after the purchase of the German Schlecker business in Spain and Portugal, the Beauty by DIA subsidiary, which employs some 3,500 people, has been for sale on several occasions. In 2018, several cosmetics and perfumery chains such as Primor, Sephora or the Italian mono-brand Kiko Milano, aroused their interest. After that first failed attempt, the company redoubled its commitment to Clarel and designed an independent business unit with the aim of completely transforming the brand and boosting its positioning in Portugal without success, where all the DIA group stores closed their doors in 2021.
This is the second large-scale sale carried out by the DIA Group in the second half of 2022, after it announced in August the transfer of 235 supermarkets to Alcampo, with nearly 180,000 commercial square meters, for nearly 270 million euros.
The operation is expected to be completed in the middle of 2023, as it is subject to certain conditions such as authorization from competition agencies. C2 Private Capital will continue, in this new stage, with the support of the current Clarel management team. “This is a strategic decision. Clarel operates in a very attractive retail sector with great growth potential. Given Dia's strategic orientation, it is best to put Clarel in the hands of new investors who focus on its future development”, remarks the Global CEO of Grupo Dia, Martín Tolcachir.