21 April 2022
We are pleased to announce that on April 21st, 2022, Sagard and Jean-Jacques Namani announced they have closed the disposal of Stokomani, the leading French brick & mortar discounter of end-of-line brand-name products, to the Family Office of the Zouari family.
For over 60 years, Stokomani has been the leading French specialist discounter of end-of-line brand-name or private-label products.
The Group offers a wide range of constantly renewed brand name goods at attractive prices, in diverse segments, such as apparel & sportwear, hygiene and beauty (HPC), housewares, leisure & tech, seasonal and food products.
Stokomani sells its products through a network of 127 stores across France and has recently launched a click & collect offering. The company generates c.€575m revenue and employs more than 3,000 people.
The acquisition of Stokomani by Zouari Family Office would give its management, who would remain shareholder, the financial resources and strategic capabilities to pursue its development.
Nicolas Bertrand, CEO of Stokomani, commented: “Under Sagard’s stewardship, Stokomani clearly transformed itself into a truly national leader, tripling the stores network. Since I joined the Group in 2020, Stokomani has demonstrated both its resilience throughout the covid-crisis and its ability to adapt its model to constantly improve the offering and attract new customers. The Zouari Family Office will definitely help us to accelerate growth and digitalization as well as reinforce our leadership, capitalizing on their in-depth retail expertise.”
Bérangère Barbe and Agnès Huyghues-Despointes, Partners at Sagard, added: “We have worked hand in hand with the management team and the Namani family to support the Group’s expansion, through like-for-like growth and network roll-out, from 40 to 127 stores. Even in difficult Covid-crisis times, we kept on investing in logistics and process digitization to prepare future growth. Stokomani can rely on a strong DNA to undertake its next development phase. We wish Mister Zouari and Stokomani’s management team all the best for this new adventure”
Jean-Jacques Namani, President of Claminvest, Family Office of the Namani Family, concluded: “My family joins me in congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Zouari who have completed the acquisition of Stokomani today. I am convinced that the talent and experience of the Zouari family and their teams, who are well prepared for the major challenges of commerce, will enable Stokomani to continue its successful development. I would like to thank Sagard and the banks that have been supporting Stokomani since 2012, as well as all our advisors who have worked to ensure a smooth sale process. Finally, I would like to pay tribute to all of Stokomani’s employees who have built a unique distribution model with passion and loyalty, alongside us and over the past 60 years. My thoughts are with my father Maurice and my brother Elie, without whom Stokomani would not have become what it is in 2022. The adventure continues and I am sure that the most beautiful pages in the history of Stokomani are yet to be turned”.
About Stokomani
Founded in 1961 by Maurice Namani, Stokomani is a leading French specialist discounter of end-of-line brand-name products. The group has developed a unique business model, addressing 6 product universes (apparel & sportwear, hygiene and beauty (HPC), housewares, leisure & tech, seasonal and food products) from leading national brands or private labels. Stokomani is recognized for its attractive prices, good value proposition and its constantly renewed offering.
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About Sagard
Sagard is a French investment fund that provides equity capital to support the development of mid-sized companies led by ambitious management teams. Founded in 2003 with the support of the Desmarais family, Sagard’s investor base comprises leading industrial families as well as blue chip institutional investors. Since its inception, Sagard and its Paris-based team of 12 professionals have invested in 37 industrial and service companies in France.
About Claminvest
Claminvest is a French family office created in 2007 by Jean-Jacques Namani and his family. The Claminvest group supports numerous French SMEs in their growth and on the long term.
The Sycomore team comprised Tristan Dupont, Laurent Bricco et Marion Pouchain.