Varus is acquiring the ‘Kolo’ chain of shops from ATB co-owner Butkevych
On 16 July, the AMCU granted Omega LLC permission to acquire control of Ariteil LLC. The application for approval of the concentration was submitted to the committee on 4 June 2026.
Omega LLC operates the Varus supermarket chain, which is controlled by businessmen Ruslan Shostak and Valerii Kiptik. Ariteil LLC operates the ‘Kolo’ chain of shops and is part of the business group owned by Gennadiy Butkevych, a co-owner of ATB.
Varus will gain full control of ‘Kolo’
Under the terms of the agreement, Omega is to acquire 100 per cent of Ariteil’s corporate rights. Once the transaction is complete, Varus will effectively gain control of the entire Kolo chain.
The parties have not disclosed the financial terms. The AMCU’s statement also does not specify the purchase price, so there is currently no basis for describing it as the largest retail takeover of 2026 in terms of value.
However, in terms of the number of outlets, the deal could become one of the largest in the Ukrainian grocery market this year. ‘Kolo’ operates over 250 small shops, whilst Varus operates predominantly in the format of traditional supermarkets.
For Varus, the acquisition means entering the much larger neighbourhood shop segment and rapidly strengthening its presence in the capital. The chain will not have to open hundreds of new outlets on its own, search for premises or put together teams for each location.
What will happen to the shops and staff
Varus has stated its intention to retain the ‘Kolo’ team and ensure the shops continue to operate without disruption during the integration. Staff are being promised opportunities for training and career development within the merged company.
The companies have not yet specified whether the ‘Kolo’ brand will remain after the deal is finalised. It is also unclear whether individual shops will be rebranded under the Varus name, or whether both formats will continue to operate in parallel.
The AMCU’s decision merely authorises the parties to proceed with the merger. The legal completion of the deal and the actual transfer of control may take place at a later date, once all the conditions set out in the agreement have been fulfilled.
How Varus and ‘Kolo’ developed
The first ‘Kolo’ store opened in May 2017. The company focused on small retail outlets in residential areas and, over the course of nine years, expanded its network to over 250 stores.
Varus has been operating in the Ukrainian market since 2003. The chain began its expansion in Dnipro and subsequently moved into other regions. According to the company itself, it comprises over 100 supermarkets, as well as an online shop and a DarkStore in Kyiv.
The deal continues the process of consolidation in the Ukrainian grocery retail sector. Large chains are expanding not only by opening their own shops, but also by acquiring competitors’ existing outlets. In July, the AMCU also approved other mergers in the market; however, it is the acquisition of ‘Kolo’ that significantly increases the number of outlets under the control of Varus’s owners.
Follow us on Telegram.
