AB Vassilopoulos has agreed to sell its ENA Cash & Carry wholesale business, including 13 stores in Greece, to The Mart. The transaction, announced on Monday, 9 November 2026, will allow the Ahold Delhaize-owned supermarket chain to concentrate its investment on food retail.
All 388 ENA Cash & Carry employees are expected to transfer to The Mart, with their jobs and employment rights protected under the applicable framework, the company said. The sale is not yet complete. It must first receive approval from the Greek Competition Commission.
The financial terms were not disclosed. AB Vassilopoulos also did not announce a completion date or a change to trading arrangements for the affected wholesale customers.
What is AB Vassilopoulos selling? The agreement covers the ENA Cash & Carry business and its 13 wholesale outlets across Greece. These serve a different customer base from AB Vassilopoulos supermarkets, which are primarily aimed at household grocery shoppers.
The buyer, The Mart, specialises in cash-and-carry wholesale supply. The agreement would therefore move the ENA network from a supermarket-led group into a dedicated wholesale operator, subject to approval.
For manufacturers, this distinction matters. Grocery retailers and cash-and-carry wholesalers can negotiate different product ranges, pack sizes, service levels and promotion programmes. The change in ownership could affect future buying decisions, but neither company has confirmed changes to supplier contracts, distribution routes or product listings.
How many stores and workers are involved?
| Transaction detail | Confirmed position |
|---|---|
| Seller | AB Vassilopoulos (Alfa Beta), part of Ahold Delhaize |
| Buyer | The Mart |
| Business | ENA Cash & Carry |
| Wholesale stores | 13 across Greece |
| Employees | 388 expected to transfer |
| Deal value | Not disclosed |
| Regulatory status | Subject to Greek Competition Commission approval |
Why is AB Vassilopoulos selling ENA Cash & Carry? The company said the sale forms part of a broader transformation designed to focus resources on its food-retail operations.
AB Vassilopoulos plans to expand its supermarket network to approximately 900 stores by 2028. It said it is completing more than 100 new openings during 2026 alone, as it seeks a stronger presence across Greek neighbourhoods.
That target refers to its planned food-retail footprint. It should not be read as a forecast for the ENA wholesale network being sold.
Nikos Lavidas, brand president of AB Vassilopoulos, said the decision was a continuation of the company’s transformation and store-network reorganisation.
He said the group was directing investment and resources towards the area where it sees the strongest competitive advantage: food retail.
Lavidas also recognised the contribution of ENA employees and expressed confidence that they would find opportunities to develop within The Mart.
What does the deal mean for Greek supermarket competition? Greece has a competitive food-retail market spanning large national groups, regional supermarket operators and discount chains. AB Vassilopoulos competes with businesses such as Sklavenitis, Lidl and Masoutis.
The transaction reduces AB Vassilopoulos’s direct exposure to cash-and-carry wholesale operations. It does not itself indicate a supermarket closure programme or a reduction in the chain’s grocery retail investment.
The group’s store strategy sits within the wider Greek supermarket market, where scale, local access, distribution capacity and supplier terms are important commercial factors.
Ahold Delhaize’s wider operations also include supermarkets across Europe and the United States. However, the 13-store disposal is a Greek transaction and should not be treated as a change to the group’s other country businesses.
For ENA suppliers, the first practical questions concern purchasing contacts, invoicing, assortment reviews and whether contracts need to be transferred or renegotiated after completion. Those are questions to clarify with the companies, not changes already announced.
Wholesale customers should similarly seek confirmation about account terms, availability, deliveries and loyalty arrangements when the transaction closes. There is currently no verified announcement that these services will stop.
What happens next? AB Vassilopoulos will submit the agreement to the Greek Competition Commission. Completion depends on regulatory approval. The company has not provided a firm closing date.
Editor’s Note: Source: Ahold Delhaize’s official announcement dated 9 November 2026. The article distinguishes an agreed transaction from a completed sale and explains the potential supplier implications without presenting unconfirmed contract changes as fact.
