KICKS GROUP acquired by MATAS GROUP

Mars has reached an agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of Hotel Chocolat. The transaction is structured as an all-cash offer recommended by the Hotel Chocolat board. The deal aims to leverage Mars' global supply chain and operational expertise to solve Hotel Chocolat's international logistics challenges, allowing the British brand to scale globally. Mars views this as a strategic entry into the premium chocolate segment, complementing its mass-market portfolio. Hotel Chocolat's co-founders will reinvest a portion of their proceeds and remain with the company to lead the brand's next growth phase

The French sustainable furniture e-tailer Tikamoon organizes a secondary LBO ("LBO Bis") to reshuffle its cap table. The financial investor Edmond de Rothschild Equity Strategies (ERES), present since 2020, exits entirely. It is replaced by the LFPI Group, which takes a minority stake alongside the founders, who remain majority shareholders. This operation aims to finance an ambitious growth plan ("TikaGreen") targeting EUR300 million in revenue by 2027, including international expansion and the potential opening of physical stores

To support its next phase of development, Arlettie welcomed CAPZA Transition as a new minority shareholder alongside BNP Paribas Développement. The transaction enables founders Muryel Lanneau and Thibaut Caillemer du Ferrage to retain control of the company while partnering with an investor capable of supporting its long-term growth ambitions and international expansion strategy. The deal is intended to strengthen Arlettie’s position in the luxury inventory management and private sales market. The company has established itself as a specialized partner for luxury and fashion brands, organizing private sales, inventory clearance events, and exclusive customer experiences designed to optimize stock rotation while preserving brand equity, exclusivity, and confidentiality

Asda Group has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the UK and Ireland operations of EG Group, representing a transformational step in its strategic expansion into the convenience and foodservice markets. The transaction involves the integration of approximately 350 petrol filling station sites and over 1,000 food-to-go locations into a consolidated retail group. This combination is designed to create a value-led consumer champion, significantly increasing the accessibility of competitive pricing for fuel and groceries to a broader customer base

JD Sports submitted a binding offer to acquire 100% of Courir from the private equity firm Equistone Partners Europe. The transaction values the French company at an Enterprise Value of EUR520 million. For Equistone, this exit represents a remarkable success: the fund had acquired Courir in 2018 (a carve-out from Go Sport) for EUR283 million, transforming it into an autonomous and highly profitable player. The acquisition allows JD Sports to significantly strengthen its presence in France and integrate a brand with a strong female identity, which complements JD's historically more male-focused positioning

GENEO Capital Entrepreneur has led a recapitalization effort to support the reorganization of i-Run's capital structure and fuel the company's next phase of growth. This transaction brings together a consortium of long-term investors, including Eximium, MACSF, and Bpifrance, alongside the founders and management team, with a shared objective of stabilizing the company's ownership and accelerating its development. The investment comes at a time when i-Run has already achieved significant scale, driven by its omnichannel business model combining e-commerce and a network of physical stores, as well as a strong expansion dynamic in France and Europe

The specialist in online distribution and sales of outdoor sports equipment is accelerating its growth with a primary LBO and opening up its capital to IDI and Garibaldi Participations.

LBO France acquired a majority stake in Alliance Marine from Weinberg Capital Partners (who had backed the company since 2016). The management team reinvested significantly in the new structure to ensure continuity. The deal was financed with a mix of equity and senior debt. The exit provided a strong return for Weinberg, who oversaw the group doubling in size during their tenure. The new shareholder's roadmap focuses on continuing the aggressive external growth strategy to create a global platform

Propolis Developpement has successfully acquired a 100% stake in Bonabio, marking another decisive step in its buy-and-build strategy to consolidate the French organic fresh produce distribution sector. This transaction represents a complete shareholder transition as the founding director executed his retirement succession plan, selecting a qualified strategic sponsor to guarantee corporate continuity and team stability. Prior to the final agreement, the transaction was conducted through a highly structured, competitive M&A auction process managed on the sell-side

Ciclad acquired a majority stake in Ceradel from its founding shareholders in a transaction advised by Clairfield International. The deal was structured as a Leveraged Buy-Out (LBO) aimed at reorganizing the capital structure to facilitate the exit of historical shareholders while bringing in financial firepower for expansion. The new strategic roadmap focuses on accelerating digitalization (e-commerce growth) and pursuing a "Buy-and-Build" strategy to consolidate the fragmented European market for ceramic supplies