DGAP-News: Bastei Lübbe AG / Key word(s): Investment
Bastei Lübbe AG acquires majority investment in leading book wholesaler
BuchPartner GmbH
08.04.2016 / 14:15
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bastei Lübbe AG acquires majority investment in leading book wholesaler
BuchPartner GmbH
Cologne, April 8, 2016. Bastei Lübbe AG (ISIN DE000A1X3YY0), which is
listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, is investing
in BuchPartner GmbH, the leading book wholesaler in Europe's
German-speaking region. Thomas Schierack, CEO of Bastei Lübbe AG, explains
the strategy behind the investment: "Bastei Lübbe AG is investing
systematically in its development - in digital growth as well as in the
diversification of the value chain in traditional publishing and
brick-and-mortar bookselling. The offer to invest in BuchPartner was a big
and attractive opportunity for us, which we definitely wanted to take."
The investment in BuchPartner GmbH reflects the consistent implementation
of the described growth strategy: The company with around 220 employees and
800 associated service staff is the market leader in food retailing and
currently manages around 4,000 shops and supplies more than 2,500 customers
in the promotions business. BuchPartner's customers include nearly all
leading retail corporations, such as the Edeka-Group (Edeka and Marktkauf),
the REWE-Group (REWE and Penny), Kaufland, Famila, HIT, Saturn, Media Markt
as well as Metro and Real. "Specialist stores are a major growth area for
our industry. With this investment, we are laying the foundations for
participating here in the future," says Thomas Schierack.
Kai Gellert, Managing Director of BuchPartner GmbH, is also pleased to have
a strong new shareholder on board: "We are delighted that Bastei Lübbe AG
has joined us. This puts a long-term partner at our side, with which we can
shape our future growth."
According to Thomas Schierack, BuchPartner GmbH is a near-perfect fit for
the enhancement of Bastei Lübbe AG's portfolio: "We are a traditional
business that looks to the future. With this investment, we are
significantly improving our competitive position in the distribution sector
and also helping to strengthen the industry as a whole as a strategic
investor. We will benefit from this together with everyone else."
The details of the investment package (price and stake) are to be treated
as confidential information.
About Bastei Lübbe AG:
Bastei Lübbe AG is an international media group based in Cologne. The
business operations focus on the development and licensing of content
distributed worldwide physically and digitally. The company's core business
includes the traditional publishing business and the periodical puzzle
magazines and novel booklets in the "Book" segment. With its twelve
publishers and imprints, the group of companies currently offers
approximately 3,600 titles in fiction, non-fiction and books for children
and young adults. In the growing segment of hardcover fiction, the company
has been the market leader in Germany for many years. At the same time,
Bastei Lübbe is driving innovation in the field of digital media. As well
as the production of thousands of audio and e-books, the "Digital" segment
also includes holdings in the self-publishing platform "BookRix" and the
renowned games publisher "Daedalic Entertainment". Bastei Lübbe AG's value
chain is completed by the investment in the online shop "beam-ebooks.de"
and the new and internationally unique streaming platform "oolipo". The
investments Daedalic, BookRix, oolipo, Beam Store, JV US and Bastei Media
are bundled in the Holding company "Bastei Ventures GmbH", since January
2016.
With currently 334 employees and an annual turnover of roughly EUR 110.2
million (financial year 2014/2015), Bastei Lübbe AG is the largest
medium-sized family company in the German publishing industry. Since 2013,
the company's shares have been listed in the Prime Standard of the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange (WKN A1X3YY, ISIN DE000A1X3YY0). Further
information is available at www.luebbe.de.
Contact Bastei Lübbe AG:
Barbara Fischer
Director / Vice President
Public Relations
Tel.: +49 (0) 221 / 82 00 28 50
E-mail: barbara.fischer@luebbe.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
08.04.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a
service of EQS Group AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Language: English
Company: Bastei Lübbe AG
Schanzenstraße 6 - 20
51063 Köln
Germany
Phone: 02 21 / 82 00 - 0
Fax: 02 21 / 82 00 - 1900
E-mail: investorrelations@luebbe.de
Internet: www.luebbe.de
ISIN: DE000A1X3YY0, DE000A1K0169
WKN: A1X3YY, A1K016
Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated
Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover,
Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News Service
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
452615 08.04.2016
DGAP-News: Bastei Lübbe AG acquires majority investment in leading book wholesaler BuchPartner GmbH
| Source: EQS Group AG