Permira Group sell Takko

German clothes retail chain Takko expands in Romania, Bulgaria and Poland.

The american Advent International will pay €770 million for
Takko and plans to open 150 new stores under this brand. Takko has some 9,000
employees and 1,059 stores worldwide. "Our medium-term strategy is to
accelerate our expansion in Eastern European countries with a high economic
potential, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Poland and also to expand our
franchise system," said Takko Executive Manager Arnold Mattschull. Other
targets include Sweden, Spain, Portugal and France.

Takko, based in Telgte, was established in 1982 and has
became the second largest clothes retailer in Germany. The company owns 210
stores in Austria, the Czech Republic, Holland, Hungary and Slovakia and 13
franchises in Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. Estimates for the
2007/2008 year include sales of €800 million.