Russian billionaire buys British health food retailer

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

REUTERS photo

Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman has bought British health food retailer Holland & Barrett for 1.8 billion ($2.3 billion, 2.0 billion euros), his investment fund said on June 26 .

L1 Retail, which is a division of Fridman’s holding company LetterOne, said it has purchased Holland & Barrett from parent company Nature’s Bounty -- which is owned by US private equity firm Carlyle.

“Holland & Barrett is a clear market leader in the UK health and wellness retail market, with attractive growth positions in other European and international markets,” said LetterOne managing partner Stephan DuCharme in a statement.

Holland & Barrett is Europe’s largest health food chain with more than 1,150 outlets and a workforce of some 4,200 people.

The group was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Nuneaton in central England. Its annual revenues last year exceeded 610 million.