The Russian investment group SCP Retail has sold off 141 Real hypermarkets, acquired as part of a deal for the hypermarket chain from the ailing retail group Metro. Kaufland has bought 88 of the units while Edeka took another 53, with both deals including the assumption of the contracts of the employees of those stores. Deals for the sales of each individual store will start to be closed by September, but it’s expected to take another year after that until the transfers are completed. One of the necessary steps is securing the approval of the owners of the properties the Real hypermarkets occupy. But there are still 136 Real stores for whom no buyer has as of yet been identified. In a press release, SCP Retail wrote that all options for these stores remain open, including closures.
