The Arkadia supermarket chain is being acquired by Azzopardi Group, WhosWho.mt can reveal.

Last week, Mizzi Organisation announced that it would be offloading the chain of five supermarkets to a third-party acquirer.

Sources close to the transaction confirmed that the buyer is Azzopardi Group, best known for its fish farming business, Azzopardi Fisheries.

Arkadia will join other food retail businesses in the Azzopardi Group portfolio. This includes Miracle Foods, focused on frozen food, and SPAR, a multinational Dutch retailer locally represented by Azzopardi.

When contacted by this newsroom, the Azzopardi family declined to comment on the transaction.

It is not yet known whether the group will seek to consolidate its food retail business or continue to operate each as distinct brands targeting different market segments.

Arkadia operates supermarkets in St Julian’s, Gozo, Naxxar, Swatar, and Valletta, serving an elevated customer profile when compared to the more middle-market SPAR and budget-friendly Miracle Foods.

The completion of the sale remains subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, as per the original statement by Mizzi Organisation Finance plc.