GCA Altium advises SCP Group on the sale of Real’s digital business to Schwarz Gruppe

GCA Altium has acted as exclusive financial advisor to SCP Group on the sale of the digital business of Real, including the online marketplace real. de, to Schwarz Gruppe, a private German retail group that owns and operates the Lidl and Kaufland brands.

The company, which is operating under the name real. digital, was founded in 2006 and originally known as Hitmeister. It was acquired by Real, a subsidiary of leading German food wholesaler and distributor Metro, in 2016. In February 2020, investment firm SCP Group entered into an agreement with Metro to acquire Real but decided to divest its digital business.

real. digital is a leading generalist e-Commerce player in Germany that combines direct sales with an asset-light marketplace model. real. de, real. digital’s primary platform, is the third largest online marketplace in Germany in terms of traffic, after Amazon and eBay. Through its marketplace, real. digital sells more than 15 million products from over 4’500 merchants across 5’000 categories, including electronics, kitchen and household, garden and DIY among many others.

The SCP Group is an investment firm targeting scalable asset-heavy opportunities in Europe, with a strong focus on retail and commercial real estate. With the sale of Real’s digital business, SCP Group has taken an important step in implementing its concept for Real.

All parties have agreed not to disclose any details of the transaction, and the sale is subject to antitrust approval and the completion of the acquisition of Real by SCP Group.

About GCA

GCA Altium is the European business of GCA, a global investment bank that provides strategic M&A and capital markets advisory services to growth companies and market leaders. The firm offers worldwide coverage with over 500 employees in 25 offices across America, Asia and Europe. Built by the people that run the business, GCA is a firm of experts who focus on deals that require commitment, original perspective, skill and exceptional networks.

For further information about GCA Altium, please visit www.gcaaltium.com