What Portobello does

Portobello S.p.A. is an Italian omnichannel retail company founded in Rome in 2016 by Simone Prete and listed on Borsa Italiana's Euronext Growth Milan market. The company operates a chain of physical "maxistore" retail outlets — concentrated in shopping centers across at least 12 Italian regions — supplemented by the ePrice e-commerce marketplace acquired in July 2022 for approximately €6 million. Its core customer is the Italian price-conscious consumer seeking branded products (small appliances, electronics, home goods, textiles, clothing, personal care) at prices positioned below mainstream online competitors, with an in-store assisted-sales format and a digital loyalty program delivered through the Portobello Fidelity App.

The company's distinguishing operational construct is its media barter platform, through which it sells advertising inventory — outdoor digital walls across 15+ Italian cities, shopping-mall infopads, magazines, radio spots, maxi-billboards, and 160 newsstand rotor displays generating over 157 million annual contacts — to client-advertisers either for cash or in exchange for merchandise. Goods acquired through barter are resold in Portobello stores; excess inventory is redistributed to third-party resellers. The company also controls adjacent product surfaces including the Portobello Gift Card (€35–€1,000 denominations), the Portobello Place content app, and a franchising program that was fully subscribed in 2024. Operational infrastructure is anchored at the Pomezia (Rome) campus with a 7,500 sqm logistics center and 2,500 sqm of offices.

The business makes money through three streams: (i) consumer retail sales across physical stores and ePrice online, (ii) advertising revenue from the Barter & Media division (cash and barter legs, with Italian tax credits available up to 50% of media investment), and (iii) franchise fees and ancillary income (gift cards, loyalty-driven repeat purchase). The company has raised post-IPO capital and debt repeatedly — €13.5 million in bank financing in October 2022, €4.4 million from Banca Progetto in April 2023, and a €6.85 million capital increase in February 2024 — alongside which it filed for concordato preventivo (court-supervised debt restructuring) with the Rome Tribunal in 2025 and was admitted to the procedure in early 2026, indicating significant balance-sheet stress despite continued operating activity.

Name

Portobello

Legal name

Portobello S.p.A.

Website

https://portobellospa.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Portobello is an Italian omnichannel retailer founded in 2016, operating 23 shopping-mall stores and the ePrice e-commerce marketplace to sell branded consumer goods at competitive prices, sourcing inventory via a proprietary media-barter model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Discount Retail Chain

NAICS

General Merchandise Retailers (455), Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers (45521)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Variety Stores (5331)

akta.pro primary industry

General Merchandise Variety-Value Mass Merchandisers (CRAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Closeout Home, Furniture & Decor Retail (CRAEAFAI)

Keywords

• Discount retail chain
• Media barter advertising
• Branded consumer goods
• Omnichannel retail
• Loyalty program

Headquarters

HQ city

Pomezia

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: Sale of branded products (electronics, appliances, clothing, home goods, personal care) at competitive prices in physical and online stores. Revenue from consumer retail transactions both in-store and via ePrice e-commerce platform.
2. Media Barter: Sale of advertising space (outdoor, digital walls, magazines, radio, etc.) to advertisers in direct transactions or in exchange for merchandise (barter). Products received through barter are sold in retail stores, while excess inventory is distributed to resellers.
3. E-commerce Marketplace: Revenue from ePrice online marketplace operations, specializing in high-tech products and major appliances, following acquisition in July 2022 for 6 million euros.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Portobello S.p.A. operates an omnichannel retail chain in Italy selling high-quality branded consumer goods (electronics, appliances, clothing, home goods, personal care) at competitive prices through 23+ physical stores and the acquired ePrice e-commerce marketplace. The company is funded and supplied through a proprietary media barter model in which advertising space (outdoor, digital, magazines, radio) is exchanged for merchandise from major brands, allowing below-market retail pricing.

Product overview

Portobello S.p.A. is an Italian omnichannel retail company founded in Rome in 2016 and listed on Borsa Italiana (Euronext Growth Milan). Its business model is based on a circular, vertically integrated media barter model: the company acquires advertising inventory from client-advertisers in exchange for goods or cash, then resells those products at competitive prices in its physical retail stores. The product portfolio spans small appliances, textiles, clothing, housewares, home care, personal care, technology, and leisure goods — all from major branded manufacturers. The core offering consists of the Portobello retail chain (physical stores), supplemented by the ePrice e-commerce marketplace (acquired in July 2022), the digital Portobello Fidelity App (loyalty program), the Portobello Gift Card, and the proprietary Portobello Place content app. Additionally, Portobello operates a Barter & Media division offering integrated advertising solutions including outdoor digital networks (15+ cities), magazine and newspaper placements, radio spots, maxi billboards, and newsstand kiosk displays. The company has expanded its physical footprint across more than 23 store locations in shopping centers and standalone sites throughout Italy, with its operational headquarters and 7,500 sqm logistics center in Pomezia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Portobello Place: Proprietary digital platform and app providing news and content including current affairs, interviews, cooking, cinema, music, gossip, news, personalities, fashion, animals and more.

Products and services

• Portobello Retail Chain Italian retail chain offering branded products (home goods, houseware, technology, appliances, clothing, personal care, leisure) at competitive prices through assisted sales in physical brick-and-mortar stores.
• ePrice E-commerce Marketplace Online marketplace specializing in high-tech products and large appliances, serving Italian consumers and expanding Portobello's omnichannel capabilities.
• Portobello Fidelity App Digital loyalty program accessible via mobile app, allowing customers to earn 1 point per euro spent, redeem for immediate discounts, access birthday discounts, and use an integrated store locator.
• Portobello Gift Card

Quantifiable outcome

• CO2 emissions reduced to zero for all stores opened through December 2022 (1,200 tonnes/year offset)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered secondary and core.

• Fondazione ThunsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2024Partnership with Fondazione Thun, announced in April 2024, focused on cultural and social initiatives.
• Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Portobello established a new partnership with the Italian Rugby Federation for 2024, continuing its commitment to supporting Italian sports and values such as teamwork, respect, loyalty, and inclusion.
• Roma Volley Club FemminilesecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 November 2022Portobello serves as official sponsor of Roma Volley Club Femminile for the 2022-23 season, supporting women's volleyball and local community activities.
• ePricecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2022Portobello acquired ePrice's marketplace business unit for approximately 6 million euros in July 2022 through a judicial procedure at the Milan Court. The acquisition included the eprice.it e-commerce portal and related assets, with ePrice generating 101.4 million euros in revenue in 2020. This strategic acquisition enabled Portobello to become an omnichannel operator and expand into online retail.
• PB Retail S.r.l.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary managing Portobello retail outlets in shopping centers. In January 2025, Portobello finalized the acquisition of the remaining 49% stake in PB Retail S.r.l., gaining full control of the 23 Portobello stores operating in shopping centers.
• Forever BambùcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortobello partnered with Forever Bambù's 'Forever Zero CO2' program to offset all carbon emissions from its stores. The partnership involves planting bamboo forests in Civitella Paganico (GR) and Portomaggiore (FE), absorbing 1,200 tonnes of CO2 annually, making Portobello Italy's first net-zero retail chain.
• Media Partners NetworksecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExtensive network of media partners for advertising space sales including Ta.Ta.Tu, Class Editori, Corriere dello Sport, Dimensione Suono, Forbes, Gazzetta dello Sport, Il Messaggero, Il Sole 24 Ore, Jedi, M100 Radio, Mediaset, Mondadori, Netweek, Publitalia '80, Radio Globo, Radio Italia, Radio Radio, RCS MediaGroup, plus magazines (Rolling Stone, LEI Style, ORA) and newspapers (Il Tirreno, Gazzetta di Modena, Gazzetta di Reggio, La Nuova Ferrara).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tigotà: Italian variety store chain selling household goods, personal care, and general merchandise at value prices in shopping center and high-street locations. Directly comparable in format (multi-category variety retail) and target segment (price-conscious Italian consumers).
• Flying Tiger Copenhagen: Danish variety retailer selling low-priced everyday gadgets, gifts, and household items through hundreds of stores. Comparable in variety store format, low-price positioning, and discovery-driven shopping experience in shopping centers.
• Action (Action Holding): Pan-European discount variety retailer selling non-food general merchandise at very low prices across thousands of SKUs. Closest international analogue to Portobello's discount variety store model with a similar multi-category, branded-product merchandising approach.
• Pepco Group: European value retailer operating discount variety stores (Pepco) and Poundland, focused on apparel, home, and FMCG. Comparable in discount variety store format, broad-merchandise strategy, and rapid physical store expansion across multiple European markets.

Regional players

• Esselunga: Major Italian supermarket chain with extensive non-food general merchandise and loyalty program. Adjacent Italian mass-market retailer competing for similar household shopping baskets, though primarily grocery-led.

Broad incumbents

• OVS SpA: Italy's largest apparel-focused retailer with broad general merchandise; publicly listed on Borsa Italiana. Comparable as a domestic Italian value-focused retail chain but with broader scale and apparel specialization rather than Portobello's general merchandise focus.
• IKEA Italia: Italian operations of IKEA, the global home furnishings mass merchant with a strong value positioning and branded-product marketplace. Comparable in branded-assortment, value-priced home goods segment that overlaps with Portobello's home goods category.
• Unieuro: Italy's leading consumer electronics and large-appliance retailer, publicly listed on Euronext Milan. Most directly comparable peer for the ePrice marketplace segment — competing on high-tech and major appliances with similar omnichannel ambitions in Italy.
• Lidl Italia: Italian arm of the German discount supermarket chain with a broad assortment including non-food general merchandise at low prices. Comparable on price-positioning competition in Italy and the country's broader discount retail category where Portobello also competes.

Emerging players

• Subito / eBay Italia: Major Italian online marketplace for new and used goods across electronics, home, and apparel categories. Comparable as an Italian e-commerce competitor to the ePrice platform, especially in high-tech and appliance segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGuMcrFLCcihkVI04qUVKfw
• Facebookfacebook.com/PortobelloClubSpa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/portobello-s-p-a
• Instagraminstagram.com/portobello_spa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Portobello