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Leading European electrical retailer acquires Markantalo chain

10/01/2006

On January 9th,  DSG international plc (DSGi), a leading European specialist electrical retailer, announced that it has acquired of the 26-store portfolio of Markantalo, currently Finland’s number-two electrical retailer, for EUR 49 million. According to DSGi, when combined with franchise operations and Gigantti, DSGi's existing operation in Finland, the 40-strong store chain will make DSGi market leader. Completion of the acquisition is expected on 1st March 2006.

Quoted in an article in Kauppalehti online, Seppo Kokkala, Managing Director of Markantalo, said that the two retail chains would remain separate. According to Kauppalehti, Markantalo has 21 outlets in Finland, employs approximately 215 people and turnover in 2005 totalled more than EUR 120 million. The Gigantti chain has a total of 19 outlets.

The DSG international group specialises in the sale of high-technology consumer electronics, personal computers, domestic appliances, photographic equipment, communication products and related financial and after-sales services. DSGi employs 40,000 people, operates in fourteen countries and has more than 1,400 stores in the UK, Ireland, the Nordic countries, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Greece and Poland. The group trades as Dixons, Currys, PC World and The Link in the UK and Ireland, as Elkjøp in the Nordic countries, as PC City in Spain, France, Italy and Sweden, as UniEuro in Italy, as Electro World in Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic and as Kotsovolos in Greece.

Further information: http://dsgportal01.dixons.co.uk/wps/portal/!ut/p/.cmd/cs/.ce/7_0_A/.s/7_0_JN/_s.7_0_A/7_0_JN