Schwarz Group has acquired a majority stake in Romanian retailer La Cocos from a selling consortium comprised of Morphosis Capital, CEECAT Capital (SEET), the EBRD, and private investor Iulian Nica.
The chain has expanded from its initial base in Ploiesti and Bucharest to include a total of 7 locations.
According to Schwarz Group, the “acquisition is a decisive step toward securing long-term competitiveness in the important Romanian market and expanding the footprint of the companies of Schwarz Group in Romania.”
La Cocos employs a “hypercash” concept, characterized by large sales areas and a focused product range of around 12,000 items. A functional presentation of goods enables La Cocos to minimize operating costs and pass these savings on to customers in the form of lower prices. According to Schwarz Group, “this makes the company’s offering attractive to private households and small businesses alike. The concept appeals to particularly price-conscious consumers with staggered discounts depending on the quantity purchased.”
“We are impressed with La Cocos’s Romanian identity and strength,” commented Schwarz Corporate Solutions CEO Christian Groh. “La Cocos will therefore continue to operate as an independent company. Future investments will enable us to consolidate our market position and successfully position La Cocos for the future. In addition, we are also focusing on international expansion with the hypercash business model.”
“The collaboration with the companies of Schwarz Group opens up new prospects for growth and further development,” La Cocos managing director Iulian Nica added. “Together. we can accelerate the expansion of La Cocos. This means that customers in other regions of Romania will benefit from our offering, while at the same time we are strengthening the country’s economy through our investments.”
Following the acquisition, Schwarz Group announced that, in addition to growth in Romania, the focus is also on international expansion with the hypercash model, with the concept offering “substantial potential for other European markets and will therefore also be rolled out in other countries.”
Kinstellar and Noerr advised the buyer, while the selling consortium was advised by Act Legal, Biris Goran, Osborne Clarke, Van Campen Liem, and Mihaela Mindru (as reported by CEE Legal Matters on March 19, 2026).