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Summary for: Albert owner agrees to buy Tesco and Žabka in Czechia in €1.7 billion dealAlbert owner Ahold Delhaize has agreed to buy Tesco’s Czech and Slovak businesses for approximately €1.7 billion, or CZK 41.4 billion, including lease liabilities.
The acquisition also includes Czech convenience-store chain Žabka, Tesco confirmed to ČTK. It would end the British retailer’s presence in Czechia, where it entered the market in 1996.
The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approval and other conditions. The announcement therefore does not mean an immediate change of ownership at Tesco stores.
What the sale includes
Tesco’s Czech and Slovak operations comprise more than 360 supermarkets, hypermarkets and smaller stores, alongside more than 100 franchise shops.
In Czechia, Tesco operates 184 stores and an online grocery service. Žabka has 113 shops.
Ahold Delhaize already operates almost 350 Albert supermarkets and hypermarkets in Czechia. The acquisition would also give the group an entry into Slovakia.
The announcement did not specify a timetable for changing store names or arrangements for Tesco’s Clubcard loyalty program and online shopping services.
For Tesco, the sale follows months of reports that it was considering disposing of its Central European operations. Its Hungarian business is not included.
“The transaction simplifies the group, allowing us to focus more on our core business in the UK and Ireland,” Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said in the company’s sale announcement.
Ahold Delhaize plans to finance the purchase through secured financing and existing resources.
Competition review still ahead
The Czech competition authority, ÚOHS, told ČTK it had not yet received a merger filing concerning the proposed change of ownership.
The deal would bring two substantial grocery networks under one owner, making competition scrutiny a key step before completion.
Tomáš Prouza, president of the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism, welcomed the buyer’s familiarity with the Czech market and said the acquisition could bring modernization to Tesco’s network.
Agricultural analyst Petr Havel said he did not expect the transaction itself to drive food prices higher, arguing that competition would remain strong. That is an analyst’s assessment; regulators have yet to review the deal.
Tesco is set to leave the Czech market after agreeing to sell its stores to Albert's owner. How often do you shop at Tesco?
The sale also comes as Tesco’s Czech business returns to profit. Tesco Stores ČR reported earnings of CZK 387 million for the financial year ending Feb. 28, 2026, reversing a CZK 488 million loss. Revenue rose 0.4 percent to approximately CZK 44.5 billion.
Žabka’s operating company also reversed a loss, posting a CZK 16.6 million profit.
Tesco began its Czech operations by purchasing K-Mart department stores in 1996. Ahold’s local history stretches back further: it opened its first supermarket under the Mana name in Jihlava in 1991, later consolidating its Czech stores under the Albert brand.
