Shv Holdings N.V. (Makro)

Makro is a cash-and-carry wholesaler serving independent, small and medium-size retailers and the institutional market (hotels, restaurants and caterers). The Makro chain encompasses 196 high-volume, low-cost/low-price, no frills cash & carry wholesale stores in six countries: Brazil (76 stores), Argentina (25), Thailand (48), Venezuela (34), Colombia (15), and Peru (4). The business is owned by SHV Holdings N.V. (Steenkolen Handels-Vereeniging), a € 16billion (+34.5%) privately held, diversified company, which also trades in liquid petroleum gas, recycled scrap, oil/ gas exploration, energy/transportation solutions, and the private equity business. SHV was started in 1896 with the merger of some large Dutch coal traders; when coal declined as an energy source, SHV diversified, opening its first Makro self-service wholesale store in 1968 in Amsterdam. That business grew internationally until, in 1997, SHV sold most of its Makro European stores (233 cash & carry outlets) to Metro Holdings AG of Germany (also in this database). In January 2004, Makro sold Massmart, a leading food and nonfood distributor in South Africa, since that operation was moving away from the cash-and-carry wholesale business. (Early in 2012, Walmart acquired a majority interest in this operation.) Makro today is divided into two groups: Makro South America (148 stores) and Thailand (48 stores). Its stores range between 4,000 to 12,000 square meters. Makro Thailand also operates Siam Food Service.