L'Etoile owner consolidates 100% of Podruzhka chain

MOSCOW. Aug 9 (Interfax) - Alkor i Ko LLC, the operator of the L'Etoile chain of perfume cosmetics stores, has become the owner of 100% of shares in Taber Trade LLC, the manager of the Podruzhka chain, data from the SPARK-Interfax analytics system showed.

Alkor i Ko previously owned 90% of the company, and Podruzhka cofounder and CEO Dmitry Tamurka and Pavel Smirnov owned 5% each.

The consolidation of 100% of shares in the company was first reported by Forbes, which, citing a L'Etoile spokesman, said that Tamurka will be replaced as head of Podruzhka in August by Stanislav Melinger, who previously served as director of technological development at jewelry company Adamas.

L'Etoile CEO Tatyana Volodina was reported as saying by Forbes that the company plans to increase the assortment of both chains, expand geographically, accelerate and expand the means of delivery and offer customers "even more attractive prices."

Alkor i Ko closed the deal to buy 90% of Podruzhka (Taber Trade) in January 2022. Earlier that month the Federal Antimonopoly Service approved the deal, giving the green light to acquire 100% of shares.

Alkor i Ko' net profit rose to 8.49 billion rubles in 2021 from 5.88 billion rubles a year earlier, on revenue up 21.7% to 80.42 billion rubles, SPARK data showed.

Taber Trade's net profit jumped 57.9% to 502.5 million rubles in 2021 on revenue up 18.5% to 15.18 billion rubles.