Largest Romanian online retailer agrees to sell four online stores to complete takeover

Romania’s Competition Council has authorized the takeover of the online electronics retailer PC Garage by Dante International, the company operating eMAG, the largest online retailer in Romania, under the condition that Dante International will sell four online stores within the PC Garage group. “The Competition Council has found that this operation (the transaction) leads to the strengthening of Dante International’s market position, and to lower competitive pressure in certain categories of products,” according to a press release of the competition authorities. Dante International, part of the South-African group Naspers, has committed to sell four online stores of the PC Garage group, namely www.pcfun.ro, www.shopit.ro, www.garagemall.ro and www.electrofun.ro. The eMAG owner has also promised that it would not interfere in the activities of the four stores for a period of at least ten years. In April this year, the online retailer PC Garage, owned by the Romanian investor Marius Ghenea, has announced that it would become part of the eMAG group. Dante International had a turnover of EUR 383 million and net losses of EUR 27 million in 2015, according to official data from the Finance Ministry. PC Garage had sales of EUR 37.5 million and a net profit of EUR 364,000 last year. PC Garage is the biggest local online retailer specialized in gaming equipment. Competitor, unhappy with Romanian eMAG’s PC Garage takeover editor@romania-insider.com