Alon Holdings Blue Square - Israel Ltd. Announces Increase of its Holdings in its Subsidiary Bee Group Retail Ltd. ("Bee Group") to 100%

ROSH HA'AYIN, Israel, October 12, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alon Holdings Blue Square - Israel Ltd. (NYSE:BSI) (the "Company"), further to its announcements dated August 3, 2008, and September 11, 2008, announced today, that the holders of 15% of Bee Group shares exercised the Put Option granted to them under the agreement between the parties signed on August 3, 2008, and sold their remaining holdings in Bee Group (15%) to the Company .

The transaction was completed on October 11th, 2010, and the sum paid by the Company for the remaining Bee Group shares (15%) was approx. NIS 24.5 million (the equivalent of approximately U.S. $6.8 million, based on October 11, 2010 representative rate of exchange).

Following the transaction the Company now holds 100% of Bee Group shares.

Alon Holdings Blue Square - Israel Ltd. (hereinafter: "Alon Holdings") is the largest retail group in the state of Israel. It operates in various segments: In its Supermarket segment it is a pioneer of modern food retailing in the region, and through its 100% subsidiary, Mega Retail Ltd., currently operates 206 supermarkets under different formats, each offering a wide range of food products, "Near Food" products and "Non-Food" products at varying levels of service and pricing. Alon Holdings holds 80% of TASE traded Dor Alon, one of the four largest fuel retail companies in Israel based on the number of fuel stations and a leader in the convenience store sector, Dor Alon holds a Chain of 186 fuel stations and 175 convenience stores in various formats throughout Israel. In its "Non-Food" segment, Alon Holdings, through its 85% subsidiary Bee Group Retail Ltd., operates specialist outlets in self operation and franchises and offers a wide range of "Non-Food" products as retailer and wholesaler. In its Real Estate segment, Alon Holdings, through its TASE traded 78.35% subsidiary Blue Square Real Estate Ltd., owns, leases and develops yield generating commercial properties.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, plans or projections about our business and our future revenues, expenses and profitability. Forward-looking statements may be, but are not necessarily, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," and words and terms of similar substance. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events, results, performance, circumstance and achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, circumstance and achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the following: our ability to compete effectively against low-priced supermarkets and other competitors; the effect of the recession in Israel on the sales in our stores and on our profitability; quarterly fluctuations in our operating results that may cause volatility of our ADS and share price; risks associated with our dependence on a limited number of key suppliers for products that we sell in our stores; the effect of an increase in minimum wage in Israel on our operating results; the effect of any actions taken by the Israeli Antitrust Authority on our ability to execute our business strategy and on our profitability; the effect of increases in oil, raw material and product prices in recent years; the effects of damage to our reputation or to the reputation to our store brands due to reports in the media or otherwise; and other risks, uncertainties and factors disclosed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, but not limited to, risks, uncertainties and factors identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2009. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except for our ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

     Contact:

    Alon Holdings Blue Square-Israel Ltd.
    Elli Levinson-Sela
    General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
    Telephone: +972-3-9282670
    Fax: +972-3-9282498
    Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Alon Holdings Blue Square Israel Ltd

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