Consumer
SAIF-backed Speciality Restaurants files for IPO
SAIF Partners-backed food services firm Speciality Restaurants has reportedly submitted filings for a public offering, targeting as much as INR170 crore ($37.6 million).
Marunouchi buys Japanese supermarkets
Tokyo-based Marunouchi Capital, a joint venture equally owned by Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corp and Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, has announced it will take over the entire share capital of Seijo Ishii Co., a high-end supermarket operator in Tokyo...
TPG finally takes control of Vishal Retail
Six months after TPG received the go-ahead to acquire the wholesale unit of distressed Indian superstore chain Vishal Retail, the PE firm has reportedly taken control of the asset, further seeing its investee Shriram Group acquiring a separate part of...
Bain-backed Gome loses Chairman Chen
The chairman of Bain Capital’s embattled investee Gome Electrical Appliances, Xiao Chen, has relinquished his role at the company, coming months after the Gome’s imprisoned founder Guangyu Huang first tried to oust Chen in favor of Huang’s sister.
Woolworths aims to boost wine collection with Archer's Cellarmasters
Australian retail giant Woolworths has made an A$340 ($344.4 million) bid for Archer Capital-owned wine distributor Cellarmasters, coming one and a half months after the company reportedly approached Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and Unitas Capital for...
Dunkin' Donuts brings its coffee into India
Private equity-backed Dunkin' Donuts – the self-proclaimed “favorite every day, all-day stop for coffee and baked goods” in the US – is to expand into India via a franchise partnership with food chain operator Jubilant Foodworks.
PE firms vie for meat producer - reports
Affinity Equity Partners is reportedly in competition with the likes of Archer Capital, Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and CHAMP Private Equity to buy Australian meat producer Primo Smallgoods, Reuters reported, suggesting the company could fetch up to...
India's Marico acquires PE-backed ICP
Private equity partners Mekong Capital and BankInVest, with their investor backers, have exited their combined 85% stake in Vietnamese FMCG firm International Consumer Products (ICP) to Indian consumer products group Marico Ltd., for an undisclosed amount.
Chinese food groups are outdoing PE in industry M&A
Formidable Chinese corporations have garnered attention for their rising status and robust earning potential, but major players have largely been slow to acquire global brands, much less act as rivals to global PE firms in target acquisitions. That may...
Advantage exits Pokka in trade sale
In a week marked by trade sales in the food and beverage industry, Tokyo-based Advantage Partners has announced it will exit its entire 40% stake in Pokka Co., a Japanese coffee and soft drink maker to Sapporo Holdings, the local brewery major which already...
Unison leads MBO of Japanese wine importer
Japanese buyout firm Unison Capital will spend JPY6.2 billion ($75.4 million) to privatize publicly listed Japanese wine importer and retailer Enoteca Co. through an MBO alongside H.C.B.C. Enterprises Ltd., an investment firm headed by George Joseph...
India Equity Partners to take over Innovative Foods
India Equity Partners is reportedly set to take a majority stake in Innovative Foods, a processed foods firm currently owned by Tata Group, for INR75 crore ($16.5 million).
Bright Food, PE may eat yogurt with Yoplait
Shanghai-based Bright Food Group Co. has entered a bid to buy 50% of French food giant Yoplait, backed by Europe-focused PE firm PAI Partners. The transaction would value the company at approximately $2.3 billion – the highest of nine bids that have...
KKR invests in Chinese liquor store chain
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) has invested in China’s largest liquor chain, VATS Liquor Store, for an undisclosed amount or stake.
Catalyst takes control in Australia's Home & Decor Holdings
Australian private equity firm Catalyst Investment Managers has taken a 70% majority stake in Home & Decor Holdings Pty Ltd, a new entity created to combine the assets of two local specialty retail businesses, Adairs Retail Group and Dusk Australasia,...
No takeaway for QSR bidders
The brief flurry of excitement around the majority stake in Malaysian integrated food services business QSR Brands Bhd held by palm oil and plantation giant Kulim ended without result, when Kulim announced that it intended to hold on to the division.
Goodbaby, great exit
Hong Kong-based private equity firm PAG has seen a strong result from the IPO late last month of its portfolio company Goodbaby, the largest retailer and distributor of children’s products in China.
QSR process ends without result as Carlyle, CVC turned down
The series of bids for the controlling stake in Malaysian fast-food group QSR Brands owned by parent group Kulim have ended without result for the Carlyle Group and CVC Capital Partners Asia Pacific, with the target turning down all approaches.
KKR’s China Modern Dairy IPO sees modest yield
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) investee China Modern Daily, one of the largest domestic dairy farm companies in China, listed in Hong Kong last week, targeting to raise HK$3.5 billion ($448 million).
Blackstone’s Bluestar goes out with HK market slide
Bluestar Adisseo Nutrition Group, the Hong Kong-registered animal feed producer owned by the Blackstone Group and China National BlueStar (Group) Co., a wholly-owned subsidiary of China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina), has cancelled plans to...
CVC stalled in QSR process against Carlyle, KKR rumored: reports
The newly formed consortium of CVC Capital Partners Asia Pacific and Malaysian group Idaman Saga has failed to top a bid by the Carlyle Group for QSR Brands Bhd, the local food services group that controls franchises for Kentucky Fried Chicken plus Pizza...
SEA retail is harder than it seems
When it comes to retail in Southeast Asia, private equity seems to face an uphill battle.
Propel Investments will exit New Zealand funeral homes
Australasian mid-market private equity firm Propel Investments announced that it had entered into a conditional agreement to sell its 77% stake in New Zealand portfolio company Bledisloe Group Holdings Pty Ltd, to Sydney-based funeral operator InvoCare...
Future of Carrefour Singapore, Malaysia sales process unclear, with Navis out
Following the sale of its Thai assets to French competitor Groupe Casino, French retail giant Carrefour has reportedly put the sales of its Singapore and Malaysia supermarkets on hold for the present, with AVCJ sources suggesting that Navis Capital Partners,...