Overview

Established in 1993, Benelux-based Action is the leading non-food discount retailer in Europe. Large-scale procurement, flexible assortment, optimal distribution and a cost-conscious corporate culture ensure very low prices. The core product assortment includes decoration, DIY, garden and outdoor, household goods, multimedia, sports, stationery and hobby, toys and entertainment, food and drink, laundry and cleaning, personal care, pets, clothing and linen.

Action generates revenues of over €5bn per annum. Its business model differs from that of more traditional retailers because only c35% of its total product range is fixed. Action aims to surprise its customers with a constantly refreshed product range at amazingly low prices. The business model is summarised by the slogan: "more than you expect for less than you imagine".

Highlights

• Won "European Retailer of the Year" award for three consecutive years
• Opened nine distribution centres and two hubs
• Operates more than 1,700 stores across seven countries and employs over 59,000 staff
• Leveraging our network, experience and resources to further internationalise the business
• Ongoing sustainability efforts: 76% of cotton products sold by Action are certified by the Better Cotton Initiative and 60% of the paper and wood products in its range are made from sustainable wood.

Update 2020   

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Benelux.

Overview

Audley Travel (“Audley”) is a leading provider of tailor-made experiential travel to over 100 destinations worldwide. Serving clients predominantly in the UK and US, Audley is renowned for its superior customer service and in-depth destination expertise delivered by its country specialists. This exceptional service drives customer loyalty leading to high levels of repeat customers and referrals.

Founded in 1996, Audley is the clear market leader in tailor-made travel in the UK. The business expanded into the US in 2014 with the opening of an office in Boston and grew rapidly to exceed 25% of bookings by 2019.

Highlights

• Accelerating growth in the US business, and successful launch of European destinations from 2016
• Continuing to drive the digital development of the business
• Named ‘Best Tour Operator’ at Telegraph Travel Awards in 2016, 2017 and 2019
• Completed a successful refinancing with the support of our Banking team

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc.

Overview

Benelux-based Basic-Fit is the European market leader in the value-for-money fitness market with c900 clubs across five countries. Its operating model is based on a quality service, no frills approach, with memberships at €19.99 per 4 weeks. Clubs are well equipped, offer virtual group classes and 24 hour opening in some venues. 

Basic-Fit’s disciplined international growth strategy is underpinned by investment in the organisation and key consumer trends of spending polarisation and the increasing focus on health and wellness. Alongside this, significant investment has been made to professionalise the business including a review of the brand and the format of the clubs. During the lockdown in 2020-2021, Basic-Fit invested in its relationship with its customers by not collecting any membership fees and by offering live programmes online via the Basic Fit app.

Highlights

• Transformational growth into the largest value-for-money fitness club operator in Europe, increasing the number of clubs by over 400% from 199 to over 1,000 across the Benelux, France and Spain as per September 2021.
• In June 2016, 2.5 years after our investment, Basic-Fit completed its €820m IPO on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange (350 clubs at the time)
• Successful execution of international roll out strategy, creating market leading positions in the Netherlands and Belgium and a strong platform for further growth in France and Spain

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Benelux.

Overview

Established in 1952, BoConcept is a leading Nordic design brand with dedicated distribution through dedicated BoConcept franchises around the world. BoConcept (literally translated from Danish "Living Concept") helps a wide range of customers to transform their home into a modern and extraordinary space fit to their style, through personal styling advice, great design at affordable prices and a high level of customisation. With an omni-channel offering through its ~300 stores in 65 countries across five continents, the homogenous brand concept of BoConcept is globally proven in metropoles around the world. 

The company realised sales of DKK1.2bn in the financial year ending 30 April 2020.

Highlights

• Public to Private in 2016
• We are supporting BoConcept in continuing its successful international franchise store roll-out by leveraging the strength of the brand, store concept and product collection
• Accelerating its efforts to improve the omni customer journey as well as expanding its fast-growing B2B business
• Supporting BoConcept in driving its sustainability strategy
• Experienced an enormous digital acceleration, resulting in linking its online consumers to a virtual designer, thereby enabling BoConcept to establish a personal connection with its customers.

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Benelux.

Overview

Christ is a German jeweller, founded in Frankfurt in 1863 and now based in Hagen. The company is a market leader in jewellery and watches in Germany in the mid-to-upper price segment.

Christ focuses on its own specialised stores in high street locations and shopping malls, along with flagship stores at airports and prestigious department stores. Additionally, Christ runs a strongly growing e-commerce platform. Through its strong multi-channel capabilities bridging between the stationary stores and the e-Commerce business, Christ leverages its strong brand online and offline.

Highlights

• Our extensive experience in the retail sector is supporting Christ to access other high-potential markets via a European store roll-out programme
• Peter Linzbach, former Executive Board member of Metro Cash & Carry, and Jochen Wilms, a seasoned digital expert and Chairman of 3i’s Lampenwelt investment, joined the Board via our Business Leaders Network providing retail, internationalisation and e-commerce insights
• Strong retail brand and position means Christ is well placed to build on its success in the highly fragmented German market which is the largest in Europe
• Initiatives planned across pricing, sourcing, assortment structure, inventory and financial control & transparency as well as further strengthening Christ’s e-commerce capabilities

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Germany.

Overview

Dutch Bakery, a leading bakery group specialised in home bake-off bread and snack products, is headquartered in Tilburg and operates six bakeries across the Netherlands.

Dutch Bakery offers a leading, innovative and comprehensive assortment, which is produced sustainably and with natural ingredients. The bake-off market for bread and snack products is an attractive and growing market, with significant barriers to entry and increasing penetration of high-quality modified atmosphere packaging products (which extend the shelf life of fresh food products).

Highlights

• We are investing to drive the company’s international growth strategy in the fragmented European private label market for bake-off products, whilst supporting Dutch Bakery in the continued investments in its home markets.
• The business differentiates itself through the breadth of its product offering, which enables retailers to develop a structurally attractive home bake-off category.
• Key market drivers include premiumisation, growth in e-commerce and new home eating moments due to increased time spent at home.
• Dutch Bakery has completed its first add-on under 3i ownership

Overview

GartenHaus headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, is the online leader in the garden homes, sheds, saunas and related projects market in the DACH region. The business combines specialist trade product know-how with digital competence and offers a one-stop platform for customers – from planning to realisation and maintenance of their garden and home projects.

Founded in 2002, GartenHaus is a pure eCommerce player and has been the pioneer in selling garden homes directly to consumers.   

We see the business as the foundation to building the leading European platform for home and garden projects. The key focus is to develop the product range into adjacent categories, as well as to internationalise the business by expanding into neighbouring countries.

Highlights

• The home and garden market is expected to see online penetration double by 2025, generating market growth of c.13%
• GartenHaus generates 95% of its sales directly online with a high level of SEO traffic as a result of its strong content
• The business differentiates itself through its own product development, excellent customer service, and the management of complex logistics
• Only 70 days after 3i's acquisition, GartenHaus acquired Polhus, a leading online retailer of garden houses and related products in Scandinavia
• Acquisition of Outdoors Toys, a leading online D2C retailer of outdoor garden toys in the UK, in October 2021

Overview

Founded in 1982 and headquartered in the Netherlands, Hans Anders is a market leading, value-for-money optical retailer in North-West Europe. The company operates under the Hans Anders, eyes + more and Direkt Optik retail banners, and offers a range of private label and branded spectacles, hearing aids, contact lenses and sunglasses at average price points significantly below its major competitors.

Hans Anders is one of the most well-known optical retailers in its core markets, with a high level of brand awareness and customer loyalty that will benefit from long term macro-growth dynamics.

Highlights

• Leading and fast-growing optical retail platform that is exclusively focused on the growing value-for-money segment
• Acquired eyes + more in January 2019, expanding Hans Anders' European footprint to five countries
• Benefits from long-term, macro growth dynamics including an aging population and an increasing consumer focus on value-for-money
• Fragmented European optical retail market presents significant opportunities for growth
• Strengthened omnichannel position led to an increase of >100% of shop appointments made online, delivering a more valuable experience in-store, with zero waiting time, and better aligned staff planning.

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Benelux.

Overview

Havea Group is a leader in the Natural Consumer Healthcare industry in Europe. It manufactures, designs and distributes a wide range of products from functional and natural food supplements, to natural personal care products for babies and women through its world class plant in France. Havea is well positioned due to its multi-distribution channel strategy (pharma, mass market, D2C) and its 7 well-known strategic brands: Biolane, Vitavea, Nature Moi, Yves Ponroy, Aragan, Densmore and Dermovitamina. Havea has acquired 5 companies in the past 5 years to strengthen its presence in the pharmacy channel and internationally.

Since inception, Havea has grown at a double digit rate each year organically and is well positioned to benefit from the consolidation taking place in this highly fragmented market and will continue to expand its international footprint in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Highlights

• Strong future organic growth expected stemming from global mega trends in natural healthcare and well-being
• Transitioned from a family-owned business with the nomination of a new management team including Nicolas Brodetsky, former CEO of Aragan
• Supporting the management team to implement a complete digital strategy
• Supporting M&A opportunities using our global network and strong experience which led to the acquisitions of Aragan within a few months of our ownership, Densmore in July 2018, Pasquali in Italy in April 2019, Laudavie in November 2020 and ixX pharma in Belgium in August 2021

Overview

Luqom Group is the #1 vertically-integrated online retailer of lighting products in Europe. It is headquartered in Germany, from where it distributes own-brand and third party products to customers all over Europe through 27 country-specific online shops.

Luqom Group differentiates itself from its competitors through an extensive range of 50,000 products, broad and differentiated product assortment, in-depth product knowledge, excellent customer service and high product availability. The company generated >€230m of sales in 2020, of which ~60% came from outside Germany. Luqom has grown strongly in the DACH region as well as internationally, through a steady roll-out across European countries in recent years.

Highlights

• Via our Business Leaders Network we appointed Jochen Wilms, a seasoned expert in both the building supply and online industries
• Supporting the business to further strengthen its position in Germany and further penetrate existing and additional international markets
• We also introduced the operational Venture Capital fund Project A Ventures as minority investor to further improve Lampenwelt’s best-in-class digital capabilities
• Acquired Netherlands-based QLF / Lampenlicht, the leading player in the Benelux region, in July 2019 as well as Lampemesteren, the leading online retailer for premium lighting products in the Nordics, in March 2021

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Germany.

Overview

Mepal is a leading Dutch lifestyle consumer brand that is known for its innovative, high-quality and sustainable products for storing, serving and take-away of food and drinks.

Headquartered in Lochem, the Netherlands, Mepal’s products are renowned for their original and premium design, functionality, convenience, quality and sustainability, resulting in market-leading levels of customer satisfaction which are sold through mass and specialty retail channels, e-commerce partners and Mepal’s own online channels.

We are partnering with the current CEO and owner of the business, Rutger de Korte, and the broader management team to continue the international expansion of the successful consumer brand. The company has grown impressively since 2018 driven by organic expansion into food retail and other large retail chains in Germany, and increased e-commerce revenue.

Highlights

• Strong track record in both innovation and design, winning numerous leading design awards.
• Further growth planned in existing core markets of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany as well as developing new markets in Europe.
• Planned growth of its online business, further benefitting from increased e-commerce opportunities.
• Strong focus on ESG; Mepal is focused on increasing the share of recyclable materials in the production process and customers can re-order parts to extend the lifecycle of their products. Additionally the products themselves help reduce food waste and the usage of single-use packaging, such as plastic bags and single use cups and bottles.
• Differentiates from competition based on premium design, functionality, product quality and a history of innovations (both re-designing existing concepts and launching new product lines).

Overview

MPM is an international leader in branded, premium, natural pet food. The business owns leading pet food brands such as Applaws, Encore and Reveal and differentiates itself through its high quality, human-grade products, its natural, clean-label ingredients and its “cat first” proposition.

MPM is a certified B-Corp and its loyal customer base places great importance on its sustainable sourcing and recyclable packaging. Headquartered in Manchester, UK, MPM has an established presence in the UK, EMEA and APAC with a fast-growing business in North America resulting in international sales now accounting for more than 70% of revenues.

The market has proven resilient through economic downturns and Covid-19, with pet ownership increasing amongst a highly engaged and loyal community for whom pets are seen as family members.

Highlights

• The premium wet cat food market is large and is forecast to continue to grow at c.7% p.a.
• MPM fits well with our desire to invest in strong mid-market businesses where we see significant headroom to accelerate international expansion
• We invested £125m alongside management for a majority stake in this rapidly growing, resilient business
• Strong relationships with key retailers across pet specialist, grocery and online channels

Overview

Royal Sanders is a leading European private label and contract manufacturing producer in the health & beauty category. Its key geographies are the Benelux, Germany, France and the UK with plants in the Netherlands (Vlijmen and Zeewolde), the UK (Bradford) and Belgium (Ieper).

Main product categories include shampoo, bath and shower gels, body lotions, hand wash and nutritional supplements. The company sells its products through private label, contract manufacturing and own brands including Van Gils, Sanicur and Odorex.

3i is investing alongside management to drive the company’s international growth strategy.

Highlights 

• Demonstrated a consistent and strong track record of profitable organic growth over the past 10 years, significantly outgrowing the market
• Completed three add-on acquisitions since 2018
• Production footprint expanded from two to four locations in the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK
• Differentiates itself through its focus on quality, innovation, sustainability and service, longstanding relationships with key customers and superior operational capabilities at its state-of-the-art facilities
• Successfully driving consolidation in a fragmented industry with 3 completed acquisitions to date and multiple further potential buy-and-build opportunities across geographies

Regulatory information 
This transaction involved a recommendation of 3i Investments plc, advised by 3i Benelux.