DGAP-News: Ströer acquires Vitalsana and enters the OTC

DGAP-News: Ströer SE & Co. KGaA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Ströer acquires Vitalsana and enters the OTC online pharmacy market (news with additional features) 19.09.2016 / 13:03 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRESS RELEASE Ströer acquires Vitalsana and enters the OTC online pharmacy market - Optimal combination of Ströer's advertising media portfolio and target groups of online pharmacies - Ströer expands its own health & beauty vertical Cologne, 19 September 2016 Ströer has signed an agreement to acquire Vitalsana, an online pharmacy formerly belonging to Schlecker and based in Heerlen in the Netherlands. Vitalsana is a quality market leader and one of the most reputable brands in the online pharmacy market and has laid the foundation for further growth with its sophisticated logistics center. Given the regulation of the pharmacy market in Germany, Vitalsana's location in the Netherlands is an excellent basis for further organic and inorganic growth in this area. The company forecasts revenue of around EUR 30m in 2016. The purchase price is EUR 4.5m and is thus comparable with similar transactions involving online pharmacies. Vitalsana was founded in 2007 and was acquired by its current management in a management buyout in 2012. Vitalsana is clearly focused on prescription- free and pharmacy-only medicines (over-the-counter or OTC products) as well as personal care products, which generate more than 90% of its revenues. Its extensive product portfolio includes selected items from the drugstore market as well as a broad range of wellness products. Vitalsana has extensive pharmaceutical knowledge. Customers particularly value Vitalsana's competent advice, value for money and quick delivery, as reflected in the extremely high level of customer satisfaction with more than 95% positive ratings. "We are excited about acquiring Vitalsana, it fits very well into our health & beauty vertical. Vitalsana is a first mover and at the same time one of the quality market leaders in the online pharmacy market. Online pharmacies are strongly marketing-driven business models, so one of the key success factors for achieving an attractive margin is having direct access to the right media offerings that provide a wide reach to the core target groups. Given our media strength, we see significant opportunities for organic and inorganic growth. Vitalsana fits perfectly into Ströer's ecosystem," says Christian Schmalzl, COO of Ströer. "We expect significant synergies both on the media and product side, in particular for existing offerings in our health & beauty vertical, which now has an additional attractive sales channel. We will drive revenue in our new online pharmacy channel using our media, and our new online pharmacy channel will drive revenue for our health & beauty offerings such as Asam Beauty and BodyChange," sums up Christian Schmalzl. With out-of-home media, the Cologne-based group is in a position to comprehensively address the entire population - the basic target group for online pharmacies. In addition, mail-order pharmacies focus strongly on the target group of the over 40s, which is reached precisely via the German internet portals with the widest coverage, t-online.de and StayFriends. Europe's most trusted internet brand t-online.de is also the ideal platform for health and wellbeing products. The overall market for mail-order pharmacies in Germany is estimated to generate annual revenue of between EUR 1b and EUR 1.5b and annual revenue growth of 10%. The closing of the transaction is expected in the first half of October. About Ströer Ströer SE & Co. KGaA is a leading digital multi-channel media company and offers advertising customers individualized and fully integrated premium communications solutions. In the field of digital media, Ströer is setting forward-looking standards for innovation and quality in Europe and is opening up new opportunities for targeted customer contact for its advertisers. The Ströer Group commercializes and operates several thousand websites in German-speaking countries in particular and operates approximately 300,000 advertising media in the out-of-home segment. It has approximately 4,100 employees at over 70 locations. In fiscal year 2015, Ströer SE generated revenue of EUR 824m. Ströer SE & Co. KGaA is listed in Deutsche Börse's MDAX. For more information on the Company, please visit www.stroeer.com. Investor Relations Contact Dafne Sanac Ströer SE & Co. KGaA Head of Investor & Credit Relations Ströer-Allee 1 . 50999 Köln Telefon 0049 2236 96 45 - 356 Mobile 0049 173 542 51 59 Fax 0049 2236 96 45 - 6356 E-Mail dsanac@stroeer.de Press contact Marc Sausen Ströer SE & Co. KGaA Director Corporate Communications Ströer-Allee 1 50999 Cologne Phone: 02236 / 96 45-246 Fax: 02236 / 96 45-6246 Email: presse@stroeer.de Disclaimer This press release contains "forward looking statements" regarding Ströer SE & Co. KGaA ("Ströer") or the Ströer Group, including opinions, estimates and projections regarding Ströer's or the Ströer Group's financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management and future operations. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Ströer or the Ströer Group to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on numerous assumptions which may or may not prove to be correct. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by Ströer with respect to the fairness, completeness, correctness, reasonableness or accuracy of any information and opinions contained herein. The information in this press release is subject to change without notice, it may be incomplete or condensed, and it may not contain all material information concerning Ströer or the Ströer Group. Ströer undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements or other information stated herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Additional features: Document: http://n.eqs.com/c/fncls.ssp?u=AMJKXUHYWH Document title: 2016_09_19_PM_Vitalsana_ENG --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19.09.2016 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. Archive at www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: Ströer SE & Co. KGaA Ströer Allee 1 50999 Köln Germany Phone: +49 (0)2236.96 45 0 Fax: +49 (0)2236.96 45 299 E-mail: info@stroeer.com Internet: www.stroeer.de ISIN: DE0007493991 WKN: 749399 Indices: MDAX Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 502817 19.09.2016