Portugal's competition authority (Autoridade da Concorrência, AdC) will not oppose Darty Portugal's purchase of 11 stores operated by Staples Portugal, the regulator said, ruling the deal "is not likely to create significant obstacles to effective competition in the national market." Darty Portugal owns and operates the Fnac brand in the country.
The stores involved are spread across the country: Lisbon, Cascais, Setúbal, Lagoa, Torres Vedras, Caldas da Rainha, Barcelos, Penafiel, Viana do Castelo, Vila do Conde, and Santarém. Staples Portugal currently operates more than 30 stores nationally, so the deal covers roughly a third of its footprint. The purchase price wasn't disclosed.
Who's actually buying
Darty Portugal is the acquisition vehicle here, not Fnac Darty S.A. itself. It's wholly owned by Darty SGPS, which belongs to Fnac Portugal, itself owned by the French Fnac Darty Participations et Services S.A., controlled by Fnac Darty S.A., the actual parent of the consumer-electronics retail group. Fnac Darty currently operates 53 physical stores across mainland Portugal, one in Madeira, two online-only stores, and three franchise locations, split between the Fnac and Darty brands.
The Darty brand itself is relatively new to Portugal. Fnac converted its MediaMarkt stores to the Darty brand at the end of last year, following Fnac Darty's 2023 acquisition of MediaMarkt Portugal. The group has said it's targeting 40 stores in Portugal by 2030, backed by more than €30 million in investment over the next four years.
Portugal has been a strong-performing market for the group: Fnac Darty's Portuguese revenue grew 7.4% to €112.1 million in the first quarter of 2026, outpacing the company's group-wide growth rate. Fnac Darty's global revenue exceeded €10.3 billion in 2025, with Portugal contributing €539 million of that.
The seller
Staples, founded in the United States, has operated in Portugal for nearly three decades. It was acquired in 2021 by Firmo from fund manager Cerberus. According to figures reviewed by ECO, Staples Portugal reported €76.12 million in revenue in 2024 and roughly €173,000 in profit. Darty Portugal, by comparison, reported €4.08 million in revenue and profit above €67,000 in 2023.
Worth knowing: this sits inside a bigger corporate fight
This acquisition happens against the backdrop of a takeover battle at Fnac Darty's parent level. Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský has launched a takeover bid for Fnac Darty S.A. itself, the group's global parent company. The takeover bid is separate from the Staples transaction, but it puts Fnac Darty's ownership structure back in the spotlight.