Mr Price makes R9.66bn move into eastern Europe

Mr Price Group Limited has announced a major international acquisition, entering into an agreement to acquire 100% of NKD Group GmbH, a large value apparel and homeware retailer operating in central and eastern Europe.

The total cash purchase consideration for the retail business and its shareholder loan receivables is subject to a maximum value of €487.00 million (approximately R9.66 billion).

This acquisition is strategically aligned with Mr Price Group’s new vision of becoming the most valuable retailer in Africa, following an internal research process that confirmed value retail in apparel and homeware as attractive investment opportunities.

The group’s CEO, Mark Blair, emphasised that the NKD is the “right business to pursue” due to its alignment as a value retailer with a clear understanding of its customer.

Read:
Mr Price grows profit despite a squeezed consumer
Digging into Mr Price’s ‘free cash flow to EV yield’ metric
Mr Price has a price

NKD profile and growth rationale

NKD is a cash-based European value retailer with a 60-year history, headquartered in Germany. It operates 2,108 stores across seven central and eastern European countries: Germany, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Poland.

Listen: Nigel Payne talks corporate governance, exec pay and SA’s municipal collapse

For the financial year ended 31 December 2024, NKD generated net sales of €684.57 million (approximately R13.58 billion).

The rationale for the deal rests on several factors:

• Strategic alignment: The growth of the value retail market is outpacing the global total retail market, with European value retailing expanding at a significantly higher rate than the total market, now accounting for approximately 22% of the total retail market.
•  Scale and platform: NKD operates a sustainable model using smaller-format stores (average 300m²) with reduced rental costs and a lean operating approach.
• Future impact: Including NKD’s latest financial data would increase Mr Price’s annual revenue to approximately R53 billion, store numbers to more than 5 000, and total employees to over 40 000.

Transaction details and timeline

The purchase consideration will be settled in cash, funded by a combination of Mr Price’s existing cash resources and debt facilities. The closing of the transaction is subject to conditions precedent, including approval by the European Commission under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation and consent from the South African Reserve Bank for the foreign payment of funds.

The closing date of the transaction is expected to occur during Q2 of calendar year 2026. The senior management team at NKD, led by CEO Alexander Schmökel, will continue to oversee the business in accordance with its strategy.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with the Mr Price Group. We have so much in common in terms of our value retailing approach and rich heritage in our respective markets. We are committed to delivering on our growth ambitions, and we believe that this new era with Mr Price Group will create significant value,” Schmökel concluded.

Mr Price share price

Follow Moneyweb’s in-depth finance and business news on WhatsApp here.