The Kasanova crisis is resolved: the historic Italian chain with headquarters in Arcore, specializing in household items, comes under the control of the Pamaf holding of Naples, founded and led by Antonio Bernardo, which has presented a binding offer to acquire 100% of the group.
The Board of Directors approved the operation, deeming it “serious, solid and fully suitable” to guarantee a rapid solution to the business crisis.
The plan for Kasanova between relaunch, modernization and new openings
The operation represents the turning point for the Lombardy group, after the failure of the rescue hypothesis at the hands of Ovs.
According to what was communicated by the company, the entry of Pamaf will allow the recovery process already started to be quickly completed and to open a new industrial phase.
The plan includes:
- optimization of the business structure;
- modernization of operational processes;
- opening of new stores.
This reassures unions and workers: bailouts are usually implemented in the name of financial stabilization, which translated into practice most often means savage layoffs. But in the Kasanova-Pamaf case, however, we are talking about a large-scale commercial relaunch. And this despite an already very extensive network.
“We are very proud to have received and accepted the offer of a gentleman entrepreneur, a man of values and his words who will be able, together with our people and his, to bring this company further to success,” declared Maurizio Ghidelli, CEO of Kasanova.
Kasanova’s numbers
The group arrives at this turning point with an impressive distribution network:
- approximately 700 points of sale;
- over 200 direct stores;
- hundreds of franchises.
- numerous corners in third-party stores.
A growth that some have feared to be excessive in past years, especially due to the widespread use of franchising.
The role of the Court’s protective measures
On the legal and financial front, Kasanova benefits from the protective measures granted by the Court of Monza as part of the negotiated settlement of the crisis. These are tools that temporarily suspend creditors’ actions, ensuring operational continuity. This protection, currently valid until mid-June, will be fundamental to allow the new ownership to implement the business plan without immediate debt pressure.
The Ovs-Kasanova affair: negotiations fell through at the last minute
Before Pamaf’s entry, the Kasanova case had been at the center of interest of Ovs, which in November 2025 announced its intention to acquire the group.
The plan included:
- capital increase of 15 million euros;
- rationalization of the sales network;
- cutting of the least profitable stores.
The thing seemed to be done, but at the beginning of February 2026 Ovs backtracked, perhaps due to critical issues related to the banking system. A decision that was defined as “surprising” by Kasanova herself. But just when hopes seemed destined to be dashed, a decisive opportunity appeared on the horizon: the handshake with Pamaf and its ambitious relaunch plan.
Pamaf and Kasanova
For Pamaf the challenge will now be to improve the profitability of the existing network while avoiding new expansions that are not immediately sustainable.
The first institutional test bed has already been set for interested parties: the meeting will take place on 18 March at 2.30 pm in the Sala Parlamentino of the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy in Rome.
