Delhaize announced on Monday the sale of its brand Tom&Co, a chain of shops specialising in food and care items for pets.
The take-over team of investors is led by Lionel Desclée, member of the management of Delhaize Belgium, who will leave the company. The Tom&Co brand will continue to exist after the take-over and nothing will change for employees and the existing network of Tom&Co shops in Belgium, Luxembourg and France.
Delhaize expressed its ambition to become the preferred retail chain for Belgians and stated its focus on the sale of healthy and quality food meant that the management and development of pet shops no longer constituted a priority.
The successor of Tom&Co is PetSerCo, an investment vehicle whose main shareholder is Lionel Desclée, Senior Vice President of Delhaize Belgium and head of independent shops and real estate activities. Mr. Desclée is currently ultimately responsible for Tom&Co at the management of Delhaize and was once part of the operational management of Tom&Co.
With the take-over, PetSerCo acquires 100% of the shares of Tom&Co and Lionel Desclée will leave the company. The effective resumption of Tom&Co is scheduled for the third quarter of this year.
Tom&Co was founded in 1991 and has since then formed part of the sales network of Delhaize Belgium and Luxembourg. The chain currently holds 144 stores across Belgium, Luxembourg and France, including 136 franchise stores and 8 stores under own management.
Photo by Delhaize.be
