Cassa Depositi e Prestiti backs Arena Group’s expansion in Sicily

Cassa Depositi e Prestiti backs Arena Group’s expansion in Sicily

A long-time operator in large-scale retail distribution on the island with over 200 stores, the Group aims to expand its scale in Italy as envisaged in the 2025-2027 Business Plan.

 

Boosting competitiveness in the market and strengthening the company’s growth by significantly increasing logistics capacity and territorial coverage through new retail outlets. This is the objective of the €20 million financing agreement signed by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti together with the Arena Group to support new development in Italy, as envisaged in the company’s 2025-2027 Business Plan.

The resources were deployed by CDP following a funding agreement under which the European Investment Bank (EIB) granted an equivalent amount to Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. Specifically, the resources will be allocated to new investments for growth relating to:

  • The acquisition of an additional logistics centre dedicated to the storage of goods and “non-fresh” food products, a facility that will integrate with the existing logistics hub in order to strengthen distribution capacity, improve operational efficiency and support expansion plans for the sales network.
  • The acquisition of two properties in Sicily, including buildings and external areas, instrumental to the company’s core business, which will be used to host new retail outlets.

The Arena Group is among the leading operators in large-scale retail distribution in Central and Southern Italy and a leader in Sicily, with over 200 active stores and a structured development plan focused on strengthening infrastructure and sustainable growth.

Cavaliere del Lavoro Giovanni Arena, CEO of the Arena Group, explained that “The agreement with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti represents a strategic milestone in the development path outlined in our 2025-2027 Business Plan. Investing in stronger logistics and the expansion of the network means increasing our competitiveness and ensuring a superior level of service for the regions we operate in. The growth of the Arena Group is an industrial project founded on efficiency, financial solidity and a long-term vision. This financing enables us to accelerate structural investments that generate lasting value for the company, for our employees and for the economic system of Central and Southern Italy”.
Andrea Nuzzi, CDP Business Director, added that “This transaction involving the Arena Group confirms CDP’s commitment to supporting a supply chain – the agri-food sector – that is strategic for the competitiveness of our country and demonstrates our focus on companies in Southern Italy. Supporting an excellence of the Sicilian entrepreneurial fabric in its ambitious investment plans represents a tangible example of the approach of working closely with local communities envisaged by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti’s 2025-2027 Strategic Plan”.