Specializing in Retail and Supply Chain consulting, Socratiz has announced the acquisition of the business activities of Univers Retail and 22 of its employees through a court-approved takeover at the Nanterre Commercial Court.
“This transaction marks a structuring milestone in Socratiz’s development within the commerce, retail, and distribution sectors. It strengthens our end-to-end offering, from customer journey to supply chain, including the optimization of information systems and omnichannel operations,” explains Gaël Loric, who co-founded Socratiz in 2023 and now serves as co-CEO.
The firm’s objective is to provide its clients with a 360° support approach that integrates supply chain issues, as well as offer, sourcing, and procurement strategy, while also working with marketing and sales departments and on IT-related projects such as PIM (Product Information Management), MDM (Master Data Management), and DPP (Digital Product Passport).
Founded in 2003 in Montrouge by Cyril Besse, Univers Retail (Tedior company) had been facing financial difficulties since 2023, with its revenue dropping from €13 million in 2022 to just €5 million in 2025.
Less than three years ago, the firm employed nearly 80 people, including around 20 supply chain specialists, serving a portfolio of some 35 retail brands. However, its workforce had already been reduced to 40 employees when the company entered judicial reorganization proceedings on July 31, 2025, before being placed into liquidation by the court on December 5.
With this integration, Socratiz’s workforce—previously around thirty consultants—now exceeds fifty employees, and even reaches around sixty when freelancers are included.
On a more operational level, both firms share a pragmatic and people-centric approach, deeply rooted in operational realities. “Beyond the relevance in terms of addressing our clients’ needs, we made sure there was strong value alignment and cultural compatibility, which are essential for the success of such an industrial project,” emphasizes Bruno Coste, who has been serving as Socratiz’s other co-CEO since last fall.
This acquisition follows a broader trend of consolidation in the supply chain consulting market. Recently, Citwell has been strengthening its AI expertise to address growing demand for technology-enabled supply chain transformation.
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