La Cocoș
Established: 2014
Country: Romania
Region: Romania
Investors: CEECAT Capital, EBRD, Morphosis Capital
Founded in 2014, Supermarket La Cocos is a fast-growing Romanian large-format discount retailer operating a differentiated hypercash model focused on delivering a curated assortment of high-demand branded products at materially lower prices. The Company combines a cost-plus pricing strategy with a streamlined assortment of approximately 10,000 SKUs, enabling consistent customer savings of 15–20% while maintaining strong profitability.
La Cocos serves both B2C customers and small B2B businesses, leveraging a no-frills operating model, peripheral store locations and high-volume sales to sustain industry-leading price competitiveness. Its unique tiered pricing system incentivises bulk purchases and reinforces its value proposition among cost-conscious consumers.
Since partnering with CEECAT Capital, EBRD and Morphosis Capital in 2024, the Company has accelerated its national expansion, more than doubling its store network and demonstrating the scalability of its model in a competitive retail environment.
Supermarket La Cocos is a living example of the role of private equity: identifying winning concepts early, professionalizing and scaling them and ultimately attracting strategic market leaders.
Iulian Nica
CEO and Founder - La Cocoș
Supermarket La Cocoș has grown step by step, through the trust of our customers and the extraordinary dedication of the team that believed in this project from day one. I am grateful to our investors for their trust in our vision and for the strategic support and expertise they brought in helping us scale the business into a nationally significant platform.
4
new stores opened during 2025, from a total of 7 at exit
624
New jobs created (+87% increase) during consortium’s investment period
1,338
Number of staff at exit
Key achievements
Demonstrated scalability of a value-focused hypercash model in a competitive Romanian market
Store network more than doubled within one year: from 3 to 7 locations
Strong revenue growth: from €227m in 2024 to €298m in 2025
Consistently delivers lowest prices on A-brands (typically 10–30% below competitors)
High inventory turnover supported by a focused ~10,000 SKU assortment
Proven, replicable store model with rapid ramp-up of new locations, supported by a structured site selection and rollout framework ensuring disciplined expansion
Implementation and monitoring of energy efficiency, operational safety and environmental KPIs across all locations
Structured waste separation across all stores, partnerships with authorised recycling providers; full compliance with applicable regulations
Donation of near-expiry products to NGOs, reducing food waste and supporting local communities
Focus on local sourcing and in-season products to minimise transport-related emissions
Supplier screening on ethical and environmental standards; encouragement of reduced packaging
Funding history
December 2024: Consortium (CEECAT, EBRD, Morphosis) acquired 56% stake
Transaction included a capital increase to accelerate national store rollout and expansion pipeline, as well as a partial cash-out to founder
Founder retained 44% and continued as CEO and Board Member
Structured earn-out: partly paid in May 2025 and partly at exit
March 2026: Exit to Schwarz Gruppe (70% stake), the founder continues as CEO and Board Member
Employment impact
Workforce nearly doubled during investment period
624 new jobs created (+87% increase)
Total headcount reached 1,338 FTEs at exit
Expansion into 4 new cities supporting regional employment
Continued hiring aligned with store rollout and growth strategy
Strengthened governance framework (eg. establishment of a formal Board of Directors), alongside the implementation of an updated anti-harassment policy, supported by regular training sessions on workplace conduct, prevention and awareness
Environmental policies embedded through onboarding and ongoing employee training
Investors
