Norwegian retail operator Reitan Retail has announced a deal to acquire 114 stores and three distribution centres from Aldi in Denmark.

The German Aldi said that the sale is part of a full exit from the Danish market – where it currently operates 188 stores – to focus on eight key markets in Europe. Aldi is yet to announce the fate of the remaining stores, but it confirmed that 1,200 of its total 2,800 workforce in the country will be made redundant.

The family-owned Reitan, which operates around 330 Rema 1000 supermarkets in Denmark along with 7-Eleven convenience stores and Uno-X petrol stations, did not say how much it is paying for the Aldi locations. The company currently employs around 42,000 employees across seven countries in the Nordic and Baltic countries.

In comments to Reuters, Reitan chief executive Ole Robert Reitan said: "This will significantly lift our Danish revenue and should make Rema 1000 the largest chain of grocery stores in Denmark.”

The CEO also confirmed that the group still plans to conduct the initial public offering that was first announced in 2020, but said that it “will happen when the right conditions are in place.”

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