// Poundland parent company Pepco Group mulls €4.5bn (£3.9bn) stock market flotation in Warsaw

// In Poland alone, there are more than 1000 Pepco stores, alongside a presence of Dealz stores.

// A dual listing in London and Warsaw could still be possible

The parent company of Poundland has reportedly snubbed London to instead opt for a stock market listing in Warsaw, Poland.

According to Sky News, Pepco Group management and shareholders are mulling a €4.5 billion (£3.9 billion) flotation in Warsaw after months of deliberations.

It’s thought that the firm opted for Warsaw because it has a bigger presence in Eastern Europe.

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Pepco Group trades from more than 450 Poundland stores in the UK, but its total portfolio consists of over 3000 stores – mostly Dealz and Pepco fascias – across 15 European countries.

In Poland alone, there are more than 1000 Pepco stores, alongside a presence of Dealz stores.

Pepco Group is also headed up former Asda chief executive Andy Bond and employs more than 30,000 people.

The firm’s IPO in Warsaw is reportedly set to take place in the coming months.

Pepco Group had initially planned a stock market listing last year, with analysts expecting a London stock market listing at the time.

Earlier this year, Steinhoff, the South African retail conglomerate that owns Pepco Group, said it was re-examining the possibility of a flotation.

Insiders told Sky News that a dual listing in London and Warsaw could still be a possible outcome.

A private equity takeover is also still a possibility, after buyout forms expressed interest in the Pepco Group last year.

Retail Gazette has contacted Pepco Group for comment.

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