Electronic retailer Nguyen Kim acquired by Central Group

The deal was revealed after the group’s sub-unit, Central Retail Corporation Public Company Limited (CRC), publicised its third-quarter financial statement following the latter’s IPO on Thailand’s stock exchange on February 20.

Central Group on June 7, 2019 obtained control of NKT New Solution and Technology Development Investment JSC and its subsidiaries by “additionally acquiring 51 per cent of the total issued shares” to raise its ownership from 49 per cent to 100 per cent through an indirect subsidiary, CRC said in its financial statement.

The value of the deal was nearly 3.56 billion baht or VND2.66 trillion (US$115 million), the company said, adding 86.6 per cent of the funding came in cash and the remainder was “recorded under other non-current liabilities.”

NKT New Solution and Technology Development Investment JSC is the operator of electronics store chain Nguyen Kim.

The company was founded in 2014 with VND800 billion worth of charter capital runs more than 70 stores nationwide.

The deal allowed CRC to increase its equity interest in the Vietnamese business and its subsidiaries, including electronic retail store chain Nguyen Kim, to 81.53 per cent from 39.95 per cent, CRC said.

The Thai retail giant in 2015 bought 49 per cent of capital in Nguyen Kim through its electronic unit Power Buy. The value of the deal was reported at $200 million.

Between June 7 and September 30, 2019, NKT New Solution and Technology Development Investment JSC and its subsidiaries contributed 4.45 billion baht or VND3.27 trillion and 58 million baht or VND42.6 billion to Central Group’s Q3 revenue and profit.

Before acquiring Nguyen Kim, Central Group bought out supermarket chain Big C Vietnam from the France-based Casino Group for $1 billion in 2016.

Central Group’s Vietnamese branch is operating a total of 32 shopping centres and 215 retail stores in the country.