Russia's largest stores Fix Price fixed network prices changed owners: the number of shareholders came founders "Kopeika" and co-owners of "TsentrObuv" Artyom Khachatryan and Sergey Lomakin, told four people close to the various participants in the transaction.

"Shareholders Fix Price really changed. New investors - one of the private equity funds, a group of investors from the Baltic states and the top management of the network, including [CEO Dmitry] Kirsanov "- conveyed through a representative Khachatryan. Lomakin completely out of the network, continue to quote his representative Khachatryan, the size of the participation of the Khachatrian at the moment he did not name.

Such changes in the structure of shareholders, as well as the fact that the Lomakin Khachatryan and ceased to be shareholders of Fix Price, "Vedomosti" confirmed Kirsanov. VTB representative declined to comment; contacted yesterday failed to Lomakin.

According to two people close to the opposite sides of the transaction, a private equity fund is the structure of "VTB Capital".

VTB was one of the major creditors of Fix Price, knows a person close to one of the parties to the transaction, and a member of the investment company, which received an offer to purchase shares in the Fix Price. After another business Lomakin and Khachatryan - retail chain "Tsentrobuv" encountered difficulties, have difficulty servicing loans of the network, and from turnover Fix Price diverted funds to address the problems of a shoe network, they know.

Initially VTB planned to find an investor to share in the Fix Price, which the bank received as collateral on bad loans, continued investment company employee who received an offer to purchase shares. But nothing came of it, and as a result became a co-owner of "VTB Capital", say three interlocutor "Vedomosti".

One knows that the bank has received about 10% of the business network fixed price shops; the transaction took place in July 2016 According to the Cypriot registry, the owner of a Russian legal entity "Best price", Cypriot Kolmaz Holdings, owned by Meridian Management Ltd, registered in the British Virgin Islands.

For the investment Fix Price - is the financial investment, says a person close to one of the parties to the transaction: «Fix Price - the leader among the stores of one price in the Russian market, and" VTB Capital "is very positive about the prospects of development of both this trade sector as a whole, and the company itself. " "With favorable market conditions - continues to a person close to one of the parties to the transaction, -" VTB Capital "expects to sell its stake in the Fix Price through an initial public offering in the horizon of three to five years."


Investment demand for cheap

In 2016 the two largest in the Russian stores fixed prices have changed the controlling shareholders. Earlier, a private equity fund Winter Capital Partners, one of the main investors is - "Interros" Vladimir Potanin, has become the controlling shareholder of the network, "the same time" stores fixed prices.

Who, exactly, it is called a group of investors from the Baltic states, none of the interlocutors "Vedomosti" do not tell. One of them, however, suggested that there may be Lomakin partners Quadro Capital Partners among the Baltic investors.

The partner of the investment company Giedrius Pukas yesterday did not respond to calls "Vedomosti".

Business Fix Price at the end of 2016 could cost anywhere from 10 billion to 12 billion rubles. excluding debt, or 14-16 billion including debt. Net debt at the beginning of 2016 amounted to 3.6 billion rubles., Says CEO «Infoline-analysts" Mikhail Burmistrov.

Fix Price Network began to develop at the end of 2007, it said on its website. Now, according to the site, about 2270 stores the network. Each of the smaller stores (sales area of ​​200-300 sq. M) is represented by about 1750 kinds of goods. Initially, the retailer stores all the goods were at the same price -. Not more than 30 rubles, the retailer is now switched to model several fixed price - 55 rubles, 77 rubles.. or 99 rubles. The main part of the range of non - food products.

Fix Price - one of the projects that are invested in Khachatryan and Lomakin after the sale "Kopeika" chain stores corporation "Nikoil". As he wrote in late 2014 to RBC for their shares Lomakin Khachatryan and could help out at $ 120-140 million each. Among other projects, where they have invested - grocery retailer "Coin", Modis clothing store chain (Lomakin share in late 2015 bought the partners in this business) and "Tsentrobuv".

In 2015, "Tsentrobuv" was the biggest seller on the sales of footwear in Russia, according to Euromonitor International. But the problems in the business "TsentrObuv" began when "reference shareholders, headed by [Anatoly] Gurevich and [Dmitry] Svetlov year ago led to the company [the president of Legacy Square Capital Fund] Vladimir Palikhata", he explained to "Vedomosti" Khachatryan summer 2016 "the company at the same time ceased to pay its debts, including banks. Prior to that she paid them properly ", - stated then Khachatryan.

Lomakin autumn was on the federal wanted list; Investigators suspect that the money of one of the loans went to the retailer for other purposes, the source said "RIA Novosti" in law enforcement.

Fix Price is also actively growing in recent years, but this year, the pace has slowed a bit: if for 2015 Network Fix Price has increased by 440 sites, in January - November 2016 - only 193 new retail outlets, according Burmistrov. The company's revenue for 2016 it is estimated at about 61 billion rubles. VAT (or + 15% yoy).