Orell Fuessli Holding AG : COMCO approves the merger of Orell Füssli Book Retailing Ltd and Thalia Bücher AG

24.04.13

Category: 2013

Zurich, Hagen, Basel, April 24, 2013:  -  The merger of the Swiss book retailing business of Orell Füssli Holding Ltd and Thalia Holding GmbH announced at the beginning of March is cleared by the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) and can be concluded without any restrictions.

The parties have warmly welcomed the ruling by the Swiss competition authorities. Clearance of the merger by the relevant bodies in Germany and Austria is still pending.

The parties will press on rapidly with preparatory work so that the new company can soon commence business. 

This joint venture, in which each partner holds a 50 percent interest, is the response of Thalia and Orell Füssli to the massive upheaval in the book trade. The merger of their book retailing activities in Switzerland is a crucial move to enable them to hold their own in the book retailing market. Resources can be bundled in the rapidly growing online business in order to withstand the pressure exerted by large international marketers. Customers of the new company will benefit from the latest developments in e-readers and e-books, and from competitive prices. They can obtain their books from regionally based bookshops throughout German-speaking Switzerland or in the attractive online bookshop operated by same Swiss supplier.

Orell Füssli is an international industrial and trading group focusing on the core businesses of banknote & security printing, industrial systems used in the individualisation of security documents and branded products, and book retailing. The company generates sales of some CHF 300 million with about 1 000 employees at locations in 10 countries and is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange. Orell Füssli Book Retailing Ltd is a subsidiary of Orell Füssli Holding Ltd and has its registered office in Zurich.

Key figures Orell Füssli book Retailing Ltd

Orell Füssli was established in 1519. More information at http://english.books.ch/home.

Key figures of Thalia Bücher AG

In book retailing in Switzerland since 2000 through the acquisition of Jäggi and Stauffacher. More information at www.thalia.ch.