5 of the 8 member companies of the leading consortium group in the sale of hygiene products with 1.3 billion in revenues in 2021 belong to the holding of the HIG Capital fund
by Enrico Netti
Bubble BidCo, a company that belongs to the holding HIG Capital, a globally active fund and leader in the private equity and alternative investments sector based in Miami specializing in the provision of debt and equity capital to small and medium-sized enterprises, acquires Reale Commerciale, one of the partners of Acqua e Sapone. The terms of the operation that allows Bubble BidCo to have the majority of Acqua e Sapone, a consortium company to which the network of stores specialized in the sale of personal and home care products, a chain active with over 800 stores and with a turnover of 1.3 billion euros in 2021. This is the fifth acquisition for Bubbles BidCo which over the last year had taken control of Cesar, Sda, Quamar and Vdm, other partners of the consortium. «We have a concrete strategic value creation project – explains Carlo Schiavo, CEO of Bubbles BidCo -. We continue to invest in growth with the expansion of the network of points of sale and in M&A activities, together with an integration plan of the different companies which aims to consolidate sector leadership and maximize synergies within a one big group “. Schiavo will continue the development of the Acqua e Sapone network in the coming weeks, while in 2023 the aim is for over 40 inaugurations. In addition to increasing the added value, Schiavo now works on the integration of the various companies within a single group. “We want to fully exploit the synergistic opportunities deriving from the solid relationship with our important base of national and international suppliers, and the efficiency of the logistic-distribution, organizational and IT structures”. For his part, Sergio Reale, president of Reale Commerciale and of the Acqua & Sapone Consortium says he is “very happy with this agreement because the solidity of Bubbles BidCo represents a guarantee and an opportunity for the expansion of the brand which in 30 years has become a point of reference for those looking for the quality of the best products on the market at the most convenient price ».