Studenac, Croatia’s largest grocery retailer by store count, has announced its plans to acquire 36 locations from Zagreb-based retailer Decentia.

Studenac said the move would strengthen its footprint in the Croatian capital Zagreb, where it would have over 130 stores should the deal go through. The transaction is currently awaiting regulatory approval from the Croatian Competition Agency (AZTN).

Decentia was founded in 2001 and posted revenue of over €34 million in 2023. Its 36 stores have an average of 110 square meters of retail space.

At the end of 2023, Studenac had 1,265 stores across Croatia and the retailer said it has been actively pursuing expansion through acquisitions as well as organic growth.

The retailer has more than tripled its store count since 2018 and integrated over 650 stores into its network over the past six years.

Earlier this month, Studenac announced it will build a new distribution centre near Zagreb.The company said that the 36,000 sqm site will use “state-of-the-art" technology to improve the efficiency and capacity of its logistics network, resulting in “shorter delivery times” to stores and improved collaboration with suppliers.

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