A recent decision from Tesco to move its CEE operations out of Poland is a sign the company is preparing to change hands, Andrzej Wojciechowicz, CEO of FMCG Business Consulting told dla.handlu website. “The centralization of operations within the region as well as optimizing the structures are typical steps aimed at reducing costs, but they often mean also the company is being prepared to be sold off,” he said. Market watchers have been speculating that the British retailer could soon be put on the market.
An accounting scandal compounded by dropping sales have weakened Tesco’s global operations over the last couple of years. Having withdrew from Japan, the company is also rumored to be thinking about exiting the South Korean and the US markets.
Polish media outlets are speculating that Tesco is considering a merger with an undisclosed operator, as the retailer continue losing its market share in Poland. Tesco has recently closed six stores on the Polish market: in Bydgoszcz, Kudowie-Zdrój, Legionowo, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Gniew. In addition, Tesco’s CEO in Poland Ryszard Tomaszewski left the company after holding the position for nine years.
