Tesco is understood to be close to buying Polish retail chain Zabka from private equity firm Penta Investments.

The buy would boost Tesco’s position in central and eastern Europe, adding one of Poland’s largest retail chains with more than 2,350 Zabka convenience stores to its portfolio.

Jozef Janov, managing director at Penta, told Reuters: “Negotiations are still ongoing and we will not comment.”

Tesco paid around one billion Czech crowns for Penta’s Czech Zabka chain in December.

Earlier this month it was reported that Penta was close to selling the Polish chain to private equity group BC Partners.

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