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Apollo to Buy Grand Frais Owner Prosol in €4 Billion Deal as Chain Plans 2026 Hiring Drive

Approval under France’s foreign‑investment rules is pending, with the economy ministry seeking guarantees from Apollo.

Overview

  • Prosol’s CEO said the group will recruit about 3,500 people in 2026, including roughly 1,400 net permanent roles for the 25 planned Grand Frais stores.
  • The remaining hires will include about 600 positions in affiliated companies such as Despi, Novoviande and Euro Ethnic Foods, plus upstream roles in production and processing sites including a Samazan unit slated to open in early 2027.
  • Management clarified that the 25 new stores will roll out across the country rather than being concentrated in city centres, contradicting earlier reports.
  • Grand Frais is also in talks to acquire 25 to 30 Gifi outlets, with completion envisaged in 2026 subject to required regulatory authorizations.
  • The transaction valuing Prosol at around €4 billion follows Ardian’s decision to sell its majority stake and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, while the company highlights a network of roughly 330–338 stores, about 10,000 employees and around 2,300 suppliers.