Emefin Group takes over Animalis

The Belgian trading group Louis Delhaize (including Cora and Match) has sold the French pet retail chain Animalis to the Peruvian Emefin investor group with effect from the beginning of 2021, reports the B2B retail trade magazine LSA. With the sale, Louis Delhaize intends to concentrate on its core business of grocery stores, e-commerce and garden centers.
Animalis operates 40 large-scale pet stores in France and recently reported sales of almost 90 mio euro. According to LSA, the president of Animalis, Jean-Philippe Darnault, will remain with the company. The pet retailer intends to continue the restructuring process that has already begun through targeted investments, particularly in e-commerce.
Emefin is mainly active in South America, Spain and Italy. The group owns 250 pet stores, including the Spanish specialist retail chains Kiwoko and Tiendanimal in Spain, as well as 110 veterinary clinics.