Expansion continues

The two transactions were prompted by the desire of rural trading cooperative Cehave to part with its 50 per cent holding in Agri-Retail. The cooperative also wanted to sell its 80 Boerenbond stores and get out of the retail sector altogether, and so the Malenstein Group stepped in and acquired the interest in Agri-Retail as well as the stores.
A 50 per cent stake in Agri-Retail is also held by Cebeco Welkoop Retail in Rotterdam. Agri-Retail operates a 37 000 m² central warehouse in Ede that stocks
Agri Retail's warehouse.
24 000 different products. From here it supplies 110 Boerenbond and Welkoop outlets with products such as chicken and pigeon feed, agricultural goods, horse feed and other items. The Boerenbond stores, located exclusively in the south of the country, comprise the branches taken over by Malenstein and 30 stores operated under franchise. Malenstein will also supply these with pet products in future.
With an average retail area of 1 200 m², the Boerenbond outlets stock a range that features pet and garden products as well as agricultural and domestic items, including work clothing. Pet products account for around 25 per cent of sales on average in the stores. The Welkoop stores in the north and east of Holland offer a similarly structured range. They belong to a subsidiary of Cebeco Welkoop Retail and were supplied previously by Agri-Retail.
Malcon Beheer has taken over 80 Boernbond stores.
Cooperation with Agri-Retail and the acquisition of 80 Boerenbond outlets will enable the Malenstein Group to utilize synergy effects as well as increasing its purchasing volume further with the aim of securing even better terms from the industry. The group has thus underpinned its position as the market leader in the Dutch speciality trading sector. In the retail segment, the Malenstein Group operates 184 Pet’s Place stores and 35 Super-Dierenland and Dierenland stores. Together with the rural trading stores, these achieve customer sales of around 350 mio euro per year. Malenstein also owns several wholesalers, the Petlog logistics and distribution company and its own import firm CINK. At the heart of the company is the 12 000 m² logistics centre in Nij-megen, which following initial problems now achieves a delivery quota of 98 per cent, according to director Ard Malenstein. All the firms come under the umbrella of the operating company De Ijsvogel Beheer, which in turn comes under the Malcon Beheer holding company. 
Following on from the two large-format…