Swedish retailer Axfood has announced the acquisition of Middagsfrid, a business that delivers ready-packed grocery bags with predefined recipes to customers homes.
The acquisition, which was carried out through Axfood's subsidiary Matse Holding, will "strengthen and further broaden our customer offering,” according to Klas Balkow, president and CEO of Axfood.
Middagsfrid was founded in 2007, and today employs 20 people, delivering meal packs to homes in 300 locations around Sweden. It generated sales of approximately SEK 75 million (€7.69 million) in 2016.
“Axfood has had a lengthy and fruitful cooperation with Middagsfrid, as we pack and deliver their products,” Balkow added. “We share the same basic view of good and sustainable food, and this acquisition therefore feels right in our strategy to continue growing in online sales.”
Following the acquisition, Kicki Theander, the founder of Middagsfrid, will stay on with the company as head of business development and PR. Axfood has appointed a new president to the business, Mikael Sahlsten.
Commenting on the acquisition, Theander said that she sees Axfood as "a large and stable owner, with long-term purpose in everything they do. They also have a broad and deep understanding of the business we work in ourselves.”
Måns Danielsson, president of Axfood subsidiary Matse Holding, said that through the acquisition, the group will hope to "strengthen our knowledge, experience and competence surrounding predefined meal solutions.”
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
