What Kerekes does

Kerekes Szállítási és Kereskedelmi Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (Kerekes Kft.) is a privately held Hungarian limited liability company headquartered in Ebes, Hajdú-Bihar county, that operates the Privát Élelmiszer grocery retail network. The business runs a franchise-style model comprising hundreds of independently operated stores across 8+ Hungarian counties under two store formats — Privát (smaller neighborhood outlets) and Privát Max (larger supermarkets) — serving consumers in eastern and central Hungary. Core products include the retail grocery assortment across stores, the Privát private label line spanning meat, dairy, frozen, beverages, dry goods, snacks, and household categories, and the Privát Kártya loyalty program available as both a physical card and a virtual card within the mobile app.

The underlying technology stack is conventional for the segment: a franchise and wholesale supply chain connecting Kerekes Kft. to independent retailers, a proprietary loyalty card system operated by IT partner Netlient Informatikai Szolgáltató Kft., and the Privát Élelmiszer mobile application (launched June 2023 on Google Play and Apple App Store) that delivers store locator, promotional browsing, digital loyalty card functionality, and push notifications. Marketing extends across the mobile app, email newsletter, social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), weekly promotional brochures (Akciós újságok), and regional engagement events such as the Mikulás Road-Show and Privát Gasztroturné cooking tour.

The business model combines (i) wholesale supply of merchandise — including private label products — to hundreds of franchisee stores on a transactional basis, (ii) direct retail grocery sales through company-operated outlets under the Privát and Privát Max brands, and (iii) loyalty program data services that monetize anonymized purchase behavior shared with supplier partners for targeted marketing and promotions. Pricing is standard retail with Privát Kártya holders receiving personalized discounts and promotional offers; product pricing is set per store location and is not publicly disclosed. The company has no external investors, no parent holding entity, and no disclosed funding; it is led by managing director Mészáros Attila and has run a pediatric hospital donation program across eight counties since 2019.

Name

Kerekes

Legal name

Kerekes Szállítási és Kereskedelmi Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság

Website

https://privatelelmiszer.hu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kerekes Kft. is a privately held Hungarian company that operates the Privát Élelmiszer franchise grocery network of hundreds of independent Privát and Privát Max stores across 8+ counties in eastern and central Hungary, supplying wholesale merchandise, private label products, and the Privát Kártya loyalty program to consumers and partner retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery Retail

NAICS

General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers (42441), Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers (42449), Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Grocers (Business/Trade Customers) (CRAHACAB)

Keywords

• Grocery retail network
• Private label products
• Loyalty card program
• Franchise supermarket chain
• Wholesale grocery distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Ebes

HQ country

Hungary

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: The company operates retail grocery stores under the Privát and Privát Max brands, selling food and household products directly to consumers. Sales are generated through physical retail transactions at hundreds of store locations across eastern Hungary.
2. Wholesale Supply to Partner Stores: Kerekes Kft. supplies merchandise to independently operated franchise stores within the Privát network. Partner stores purchase products wholesale from Kerekes, including private label products (Privát brand), enabling revenue generation through bulk distribution to the store network.
3. Loyalty Program Data Services: The company collects and analyzes consumer purchasing data through the Privát Kártya loyalty program. This anonymized purchasing behavior data is shared with partners for targeted marketing and promotional purposes, generating indirect revenue through enhanced supplier relationships and promotional programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kerekes Kft. operates the Privát Élelmiszer grocery retail network under the Privát and Privát Max brands across eastern and central Hungary, supplying merchandise wholesale to hundreds of independently operated franchise stores. The company runs the Privát Kártya loyalty program, a free mobile application (Privát Élelmiszer) for promotions and store locator functionality, and markets a range of private label grocery products under the Privát brand covering meat, dairy, frozen foods, dry goods, beverages, snacks, and household items.

Product overview

Kerekes Kft. operates the Privát Élelmiszer grocery retail network, consisting of two store formats: PRIVÁT (smaller neighborhood stores) and PRIVÁT MAX (larger supermarkets). The company offers a loyalty program called Privát Kártya available as both physical card and mobile app virtual card, providing personalized discounts. Their private label ('Privát' branded) products span meat, dairy, frozen foods, beverages, dry goods, snacks, and household categories. The mobile application enables customers to access promotional flyers, locate stores, and use digital loyalty cards. The business serves customers across approximately 8 counties in Eastern and Central Hungary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Privát: Private label brand under which food and grocery products are sold in Privát and Privát Max stores, including meat products, dairy, frozen foods, snacks, beverages, and household items.
• Privát Max
• Privát Kártya

Products and services

• Privát and Privát Max Retail Stores Branded grocery retail store network across eastern and central Hungary. Privát represents smaller neighborhood grocery outlets, while Privát Max represents larger format supermarkets. Stores are operated by independent franchise partners who source merchandise from Kerekes Kft.
• Privát Kártya Loyalty Program Customer loyalty program providing personalized discounts, exclusive promotions, and targeted marketing communications. Available as both a physical plastic card and a virtual card within the Privát Élelmiszer mobile application. Free to join, with registration available in-store or via the mobile app.
• Privát Élelmiszer Mobile Application Free mobile application (iOS and Android) for Privát and Privát Max customers. Provides store locator functionality, browsing of promotional flyers, push notifications about deals and new products, and digital loyalty card (virtual Privát Kártya) functionality for discount redemption at checkout.
• Privát Private Label Products Own-brand private label grocery products sold under the 'Privát' label at Privát and Privát Max stores. Categories include meat products (salami, sausages, bacon, cold cuts), dairy (butter, sour cream, cheese spreads, quark, margarine), frozen foods (vegetables, potatoes, fish fillets), beverages (soft drinks, juices, ice tea, syrups), dry goods (pasta, jams, spices, condiments), snacks (chips, croissants), and household items (toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning products).
• Akciós Újság Promotional Flyers Weekly promotional flyers showcasing discounted products available at Privát and Privát Max stores. Distributed digitally through the mobile application and website, and in printed form in stores.
• Wholesale Supply to Partner Stores Wholesale supply of merchandise, including private label Privát brand products, to independently operated Privát and Privát Max franchise stores across 8+ Hungarian counties. Partner stores purchase products wholesale from Kerekes Kft., enabling bulk distribution revenue for the company.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 18 million HUF in charitable donations to children's hospital departments

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Netlient Informatikai Szolgáltató Kft. (Netlient Kft.)coreTechnology or IntegrationNetlient Kft. provides information technology services for the Privát Kártya loyalty program. Based in Vác, Hungary (2600 Vác, Háló köz 3.), the company manages the loyalty card system infrastructure, including data processing for card registrations, transaction tracking, and promotional offer management. Led by CEO Szilágyi András.
• Various Private Label Product ManufacturerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe company sources private label products under the Privát brand from recognized manufacturers and suppliers. This ensures quality products under the retailer's own brand while providing manufacturing partners with consistent order volumes. The private label program covers categories including meat products, dairy, dry goods, frozen foods, snacks, beverages, and household items.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Penny Market Zrt. Penny Market operates discount supermarkets in Hungary positioned in the same value-tier as Privát stores, with a strong private label range. Its nationwide footprint and expansion into smaller Hungarian cities make it a relevant competitive incumbent.
• Lidl Magyarország Kereskedelmi Bt. Lidl operates a national network of discount supermarkets in Hungary with a heavy private label focus and aggressive pricing. It is a key competitive threat to Privát franchise stores, particularly as Lidl expands into smaller Hungarian towns where Kerekes' partners operate.
• Tesco Globál Áruházak Zrt. Tesco operates hypermarkets and supermarkets in Hungary with a broad grocery assortment including its own private label lines. As a major national chain with significant scale and supply chain leverage, it represents the large-format competitive context for any regional grocery operator.
• Auchan Magyarország Kft. Auchan operates hypermarkets in Hungary offering broad grocery assortments including private label. As a major national incumbent with strong supplier relationships and loyalty programs, it represents the broad competitive landscape relevant to Kerekes' value-positioned grocery offering.
• Aldi Magyarország Élelmiszeripari Kereskedelmi Kft. Aldi operates discount supermarkets across Hungary emphasizing private label across grocery categories—directly analogous to Privát's own-brand program. Its expansion into secondary Hungarian cities directly competes for the value-seeking consumers served by Privát franchise stores.
• SPAR Hungary Kereskedelmi Kft. SPAR Hungary operates corporate-owned SPAR and INTERSPAR supermarkets across Hungary with a broad assortment including private label. As a major national incumbent competing for the same grocery basket, it represents the larger-chain competitive context within which Kerekes operates, though it does not use the franchise model.

Direct peers

• Coop Hungary Zrt. Coop Hungary is a major cooperative retail network with thousands of member stores across the country, including strong presence in rural and small-town markets similar to Kerekes' footprint. Its hybrid cooperative-franchise model and grocery product mix make it a directly comparable peer for a regional franchise grocer.
• CBA (Central Buying Association): CBA is Hungary's largest retail cooperative/symbol group, operating a franchise-style network of independent grocery stores under shared branding and central wholesale supply. Kerekes' Privát/Privát Max network exhibits the same franchise-wholesale hybrid model, and CBA-branded promotional materials appear on the Privát Élelmiszer website, indicating a direct affiliation or peer relationship.
• Reál Hungária Élelmiszer Kft. Reál operates one of Hungary's largest voluntary grocery franchise networks, with thousands of independent member stores supplied through a central wholesale operation. Its business model—franchise retail + central wholesale supply + private label + loyalty—is directly comparable to Kerekes' Privát network.

Others

• METRO Cash & Carry Magyarország Kft. METRO operates a cash-and-carry wholesale model in Hungary serving HoReCa and independent retailers. While METRO is upstream of consumer retail, its wholesale-grocery model is thematically comparable to Kerekes' wholesale supply role within the Privát franchise network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@privatelelmiszer1480
• Facebookfacebook.com/privatuzletlanc
• Instagraminstagram.com/privat.elelmiszer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kerekes-kft-ebes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kerekes