CVC Said to Plan IPO of $8 Billion Retailer Zabka in September

(Bloomberg) -- CVC Capital Partners Plc is planning to list Zabka Polska SA in an initial public offering expected to value Poland’s biggest convenience store chain at $7.5 billion to $8 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

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The Warsaw IPO could raise between $1 billion and $1.5 billion and is expected to launch as soon as September, said the people, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are leading work on the share sale, they said.

The listing could be Poland’s largest since e-commerce operator Allegro.eu SA’s record $2.8 billion offering in 2020, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It comes as the European IPO market rebounds from a two-year slump. Details of the offering, including the size and timing, could change, the people said.

Representatives for CVC, JPMorgan and Goldman declined to comment.

CVC bought Zabka from Mid Europa Partners in 2017, in what was then the biggest deal in the country’s food retail sector. The convenience store chain operates more than 10,000 branches, most of which are run by franchisees in Poland, according to its website. It has also recently expanded into Romania after acquiring a controlling stake in consumer goods distributor DRIM Daniel Distributie.

The offering would come after CVC itself listed in Amsterdam earlier this year, raising €2 billion ($2.2 billion) along with its backers. Its shares have risen 22% since the April float. CVC is also considering a listing of Spanish clothing retailer Tendam, which it owns along with PAI Partners.

European listing have raised about $14 billion in 2024, more than twice as much as in the same period last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Companies and their bankers have been heartened by a string of successful listings from the likes of beauty and fragrance group Puig Brands SA and skin-care company Galderma Group AG. Still, others have had a more challenging time. Luxury sneaker maker Golden Goose Group SpA priced its offering near the bottom end of a marketed range, Bloomberg News reported today, while Greyhound bus owner Flix has postponed its plans for a Frankfurt IPO.

--With assistance from Konrad Krasuski.

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