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LS Distribution North America is widening its brand representation, in particular with European confectionary in Canada, by acquiring Euro-Excellence

Category

Lagardère Travel Retail

Paris, August 1, 2011

LS Distribution North America has just entered into exclusive negotiations with Euro-Excellence in order to acquire a majority stake in the Canadian business. The acquisition is subject to a number of conditions being verified. Once this has been carried out, LS Distribution North America will hold 75% of the shares in Euro-Excellence.The goal of this merger is to help Euro-Excellence to speed up its development on the fast-growing imported and specialized confectionary market in Canada thanks to the strong commercial synergies with LS Distribution North America.

LS Distribution North America is diversifying in a new and very fast-growing market by accessing a different specialized retail network (bakeries, independent grocery stores, major food retailers…). It will also be possible to distribute a large number of the Euro-Excellence portfolio references in the current LMPI Press network. In particular, this will boost the income of these retailers who have been facing a slowdown in the print media market for several years now.

As for Euro-Excellence, it will be able the company to expand further through the entire LMPI distribution network, in particular its airport contacts, and to strengthen its presence in English-speaking areas of Canada.

The future development of the business will continue to rely on André Clémence and his management team, who have more than 25 years of experience, as well as a sales force with more than 25 representatives in Canada.

The two companies have successfully demonstrated the strength of their collaboration over the last few months by launching the German brand Haribo in Canada through their respective networks. The growth of Haribo was very fast thanks to the way these networks complement each other and to how they are perfectly targeted for foreign brands.

This strategic merger makes LSDNA an attractive player for foreign confectionary and food brands looking for future expansion in Canada.

Euro-Excellence will also be able to rely on the expertise of the distribution businesses of the Lagardère Services Group worldwide in order to optimize its supplies and to expand its range of products.

 

LS Distribution North America - Euro Excellence

 

Contact

Nicolas Libbrecht - nlibbrecht@ls-dna.com

LS Distribution North America has been present in Canada for more than 40 years through LMPI, its North America international press retail operation. By developing a vast network of press retailers and airport retail outlets, LMPI quickly became the leader in international press distribution in North America. A trusted business for publishers and an ideal partner for retail chains, LMPI today offers more than 2,500 shops a selection of more than 3,500 magazines, including Cosmopolitan UK, FHM UK, Glamour UK, Vogue UK, Country Living, Wallpaper, Monocle, Paris Match, Geo, National Geographic (French version), Le Monde, Le Figaro, L'Express, Science & Vie, Elle Italy, Hola, GQ Italy, Computer Arts, Delicious (Australia), etc.
The company also provides a leading subscription service in North America through its Express Mag division, and offers mail-order sales services suited to customer needs for several publishers, such as Atlas Editions and Hachette Collections. This mail-order service has enabled LSDNA to acquire great 3PL (3rd Party Logistics) expertise with the import and reception of goods, parcel management, order preparation and fulfilment, and unique expertise in returns (reverse logistics). These skills are today strengthened within the LS Distribution Logistics division, which acts as a 3PL service for various partners in Canada and the US, dealing in areas as diverse as cosmetics, food, optics, mail-order, media, marketing and even e-commerce platforms and retail outlets.

Fortified by its experience in distribution and thanks to its vast network of retailers, LSDNA created in 2010 its own wholesaler division for non press products, which is called LS Distribution Services. This division's task is to offer the existing network a range of additional products (confectionery, quality stationery, toys and other gift objects) in order to broaden its retailers' income. LS Distribution Services also actively aims at extending its client base for these other products to non press retailers.

Euro-Excellence has been an importer and distributor of premium chocolates & confectionery and gournet food in Canada since 1985.

The company created by André Clémence was notably instrumental in the development of the fine chocolate market in Canada. With its cold warehouses located in Candiac (on the south of Montreal) since 2008, the company has a very modern distribution platform able to support its future development. Euro-Excellence works with more than 65 suppliers of European confectionery and represents a wide portfolio of prestigious brands in Canada : Valhrona, Côte d'or, Maxim's de Paris, Villars, Haribo, Camille Bloch, Banania, Sarotti, Valor...
Euro-Excellence is supported by a salesforce of 25 agents who visit 2,700 retail outlets (supermarkets, drugstores and local retail networks) every month.

A major success for the company in the last few years was the development and implementation of the "Chocolat du Monde" display which helped Euro-Excellence to extend the distribution of many European brands to supermarkets in Quebec and Ontario.

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