Mr Bricolage — M&A Activity 2012

Mar 26, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

26 March 2012

Agreement signed between Mr Bricolage Group

and Espace Emeraude Group representing around 90 affiliates,

mainly under the Espace Emeraude and Rural Expert brands.

Le Club, the central services unit of Les Briconautes and its affiliates, a subsidiary of Mr Bricolage Group, and SA2E, the central services unit of Espace Emeraude and Rural Expert, have announced a commercial partnership aimed at increasing the buying power of the two groups, by drawing on the strength of the Mr Bricolage Group.

The partnership, agreed between Mr Bricolage Group and SA2E, is effective as of 1 January 2012.

SA2E represents 90 DIY stores that mainly serve the rural and agricultural markets, including

• 78 Espace Emeraude stores;
• 12 Rural Expert stores.

This partnership offers a number of advantages and is a perfect fit with the strategy of the two groups:

• Espace Emeraude will boost its economic and sales performances of its 90 affiliates by improving its purchasing terms

• Mr Bricolage Group will strengthen its leading position as an independent retailer in the local DIY market, particularly in rural areas

Added appeal of Mr Bricolage Group

This agreement gives credibility to the multi-brand offering of Mr Bricolage Group, the only group to provide independent retailers with an offering on four levels: the Mr Bricolage, Les Briconautes and L'Entrepôt Du Bricolage brands, as well as affiliate status in the DIY and garden-centre sectors.

ABOUT THE MR BRICOLAGE GROUP WWW.MR-BRICOLAGE.COM

Mr Bricolage is France's no. 1 local DIY retailer (around 580 stores) and has 60 stores in nine other countries. Its Mr Bricolage, Catena, Les Briconautes, Les Jardinautes and L'Entrepôt Du Bricolage chains combined have over 1,600,000 m² of retail space. It also has 264 affiliates. With more than 12,000 employees, the group's networks represent total sales including tax of around some €2.3 billion, while purchasing totals around €1 billion.

CONTACT AT MR BRICOLAGE:

Eve Jondeau, Head of Financial Communication, Tel: +33 2 38 43 21 88 EMAIL: eve.jondeau@mrbricolage.fr

ABOUT THE ESPACE EMERAUDE GROUP WWW.ESPACE-EMERAUDE.COM

The Espace Emeraude and Rural Expert chains were established in 1980 and have grown by adapting to changes in the agriculture sector by leveraging the synergies between agriculture, DIY and gardening. For 30 years, Espace Emeraude and Rural Expert stores have met the needs of rural areas by providing a comprehensive range of solutions for agriculture and DIY.

The Espace Emeraude Group has built close relationships with its customers, and to provide them with an even better service, it constantly seeks to improve its operational effectiveness by using modern distribution techniques. More than ever, Espace Emeraude and Rural Expert continue to provide their customers with highquality products and services that meet the most stringent utility standards. The central services and purchasing unit, SA2E, has also developed several sales concepts for different sectors, depending on their size, with an offering adapted to the local market, so that customers do not have to drift from rural to urban areas to buy what they need.

The Espace Emeraude Group currently has around 90 affiliates operating under the Espace Emeraude and Rural Expert brands, and represents €277 million in sales.

CONTACT AT THE ESPACE EMERAUDE GROUP:

Vincent Girard, CEO, Tel: +33 2 41 66 01 29 EMAIL: info@garem.fr