Businesses

2007 Overview

• Send

In 2007, Lagardère Services consolidated its positions throughout the world while achieving its set objectives of bolstering its traditional retail sales activities, particularly its travel retail services in transportation hubs of 18 countries. With more than two-thirds of its total sales devoted to retailing, Lagardère Services is a major player in this business sector.

In France, new retail outlets were opened in train stations and airports, resulting in a slight increase in this activity. In the rest of Europe, all countries recorded significant growth in their retail sales business, particularly in Central Europe.

The network now has over 500 points of sale in Poland, some 150 in the Czech Republic, 330 in Hungary and more than 100 in Romania. Sales growth has been strong in these countries (approaching 30% in Poland and the Czech Republic, while sales of the Romanian subsidiary nearly doubled).

The Asia-South Pacific region, a new area of expansion, also put in a fine performance. Regarding press distribution, 2007 was marked by gains in market share despite the general stagnation that characterized this sector, related in part to the decline of magazine sales in Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and the United States. The sector grew significantly in Hungary and Canada, however.
In keeping with its strategic orientation of expanding operations in transportation hubs, Lagardère Services also reached an agreement with Butler Capital Partners wherein the latter would acquire a majority stake in the Virgin group.