Alliance Boots, Europe’s largest pharmacy group, is among the bidders poised to learn this week whether it has been successful in an auction for part of Sweden’s monopoly pharmaceutical retailer.

The group, best known for its UK Boots brand, is bidding for one of two large clusters of pharmacy stores being sold by the Swedish government as part of its privatisation of the Apoteket chain, according to people familiar with the situation. The winning bidders could be announced on Monday.