Studenac, Croatia’s largest retailer, has acquired convenience store chain La-Vor for an undisclosed sum.

La-Vor has 16 stores located on the Istrian peninsula which are around 200 meters squared, with roughly 200 employees.

Studenac said that the acquisition, which was its third in 2023, will ensure the company meets its target of 10 per cent market share by the end of 2025.

The company now has around 1,269 shops in Croatia and has tripled its network of stores in around five years.

Studenac said it has invested more than €160 million in integrating its recent takeovers of Strahinjčica and Špar earlier this year.

The retailer added it plans to invest in La-Vor’s sales network, employee development as well as modernising its processes.

“It’s great to be doing another acquisition in Istria, which is where we started our nationwide expansion back in 2019 with the purchase of Istarski Supermarketi,” said Studenac board president Michał Seńczuk. “La-Vor is a very well-managed business, with very high sales per square meter and strong brand recognition in the region.

“They’re a great fit with our proximity retail model, because just like us, they concentrate on building customer loyalty by providing high-quality products in neighbourhood shops.”

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