Advent in talks to acquire Brazilian supermarket chain Sonda

Group 1 - Advent is in advanced discussions to acquire Brazilian supermarket chain Sonda, with a deal potentially valued at up to 3.5 billion reais ($653.50 million) based on Sonda's estimated gross revenue of 6.5 billion reais in 2025 [1] - Negotiations have been ongoing for several months, with unresolved key issues from primary shareholder Delcir Sonda, who has been considering a sale due to succession issues since about two years ago [2] - The likelihood of a sale has increased following the death of Idi Sonda in 2022, and Delcir Sonda, at 77, is contemplating the company's future despite publicly denying being on the market [3] Group 2 - Grupo Pereira, which owns Fort Atacadista and Comper chains, had shown interest in acquiring Sonda but has been surpassed by Advent in the negotiations [4] - Advent is exploring the creation of a food retail investment division, aiming for a larger investment scale than Pátria's Plurix holding, which manages 10 billion reais in supermarket sales and an additional 6 billion reais in cash-and-carry sales [4] - Advent has been actively seeking opportunities in the Brazilian grocery market, including partnerships with regional grocers like Angeloni, and has a strong presence in the sector, evidenced by its previous successful transactions [5]