Americanas stated that it is holding advanced talks to sell the three remaining Natural da Terra stores in São Paulo, after announcing on Wednesday, the 13th, the sale of another ten units of the chain to Oba Hortifruti, said the financial director (CFO), Sebastien Durchon.
The company’s strategy was to first resolve the Natural da Terra operation in São Paulo, where loss-making stores were putting pressure on the fruit and vegetable operation’s cash flow.
According to the executive, the three remaining units in the State are in surplus and are still under negotiation. “We have advanced conversations to sell these three stores as well,” he said.
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Americanas announced the day before the sale of 10 of the 13 Natural da Terra stores in São Paulo for R$69 million, in an operation subject to Cade’s approval. The amount will be deducted from the company’s debentures, according to Durchon.
After the transactions are concluded in São Paulo, the hortifrúti operation will be concentrated in Rio de Janeiro. According to Durchon, the company continues to carry out an operational restructuring process for the network and is also evaluating potential interested parties in purchasing the asset. “We now have a horticultural asset concentrated in Rio, with a much more robust operation,” he stated.
Sale eliminates cash burn
Durchon stated that the sale of 10 loss-making stores in São Paulo should eliminate the cash consumption of the operation in the State. According to the executive, the units negotiated with Oba Hortifruti concentrated negative results from the São Paulo operation. “All the stores sold are loss-making and this transaction eliminates the cash consumption that HNT (Hortifrúti Natural da Terra) suffers in São Paulo”, he stated during the results conference call.
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The executive stated that the fruit and vegetable industry began to show clearer signs of recovery after the restructuring process began in the second half of last year.
In the first quarter of 2026, the unit’s sales grew 4%, while the gross margin increased by almost 5 percentage points, driven by the increased share of fruits and vegetables in the commercial mix. “We are gradually returning to the model that made fruit and vegetables successful in the past,” said Durchon.
The operation also recorded a reduction in general and administrative expenses and ended the quarter with positive cash generation of R$6 million, although at a level considered small by the company.
