Valora (company)

Valora (also Valora Group) is a Europe-wide active Swiss trade and logistics holding company headquartered in Muttenz. The group forms the roof Valora Holding AG, the Valora AG 's operating business ramified Valora Group is bundled.

Business

The Group comprises three business areas Retail, services and trade.

In the area of ​​small -scale retail ( Valora Retail) joins the company among the four brand names of " k kiosk ", " avec. ", " Caffè Spettacolo " and " press book" on. On September 25, 2012 it was announced that Valora has acquired, together with its Swiss subsidiary " Brezelkönig " based in Emmen German pretzel manufacturers and dealers " pretzel Ditsch ". Brezelkönig has 38 locations in Switzerland and in Germany approximately 195 Da Valora paid a portion of the purchase price in its own shares, Ditsch was 18.5 percent major shareholder of Valora.

The area Press Distribution is handled by Valora Services and the distribution of Fast Moving Consumer Goods ( FMCG) about Valora Trade.

The Valora Group engaged in full-time positions expected to total more than 6,500 people and generated 2012 revenue of 2.848 billion Swiss francs.

History

The Valora goes back to the company, founded in 1905 in Olten "Swiss chocolates & Colonial house," from which the " Merkur AG " was born. Only in the 1980s expanded the Mercury division to restaurants and vending machines ( Selecta ). The Merkur AG in 1986 was converted into a holding company (Mercury Holding AG), which finally in 1996 changed the name to Valora Holding AG.

The shift away from the former core business began in 1990 with the takeover of the Kiosk AG and Schmidt- Agence, the two largest Swiss kiosk chains, which were gradually brought together under the brand kiosk and were characterized by the well-known trademark elements of the Mercury chain. The naming rights to the brand stand are in Switzerland by acquiring the Kiosk AG since in principle at Valora. With the kiosk outlets are expanded to Germany in 1997 and then after Luxembourg and Austria. The activities are now consolidated in the business unit Valora Retail, which comprises around 1,500 captive locations.

The vending machine division was established in 1997 as Selecta AG becomes independent again and brought to the Swiss Stock Exchange. In 2001 the company was taken over completely by the British Compass Group. The office of the Selecta Group remained in Switzerland and until today reminiscences of the former market presence of Mercury are the appearance of the Selecta vending machines to detect.

Following broad diversification in the 1980s and 1990s, began in 2003 again a focus on the most promising business sectors. As part of this restructuring Valora sold specializing in Confiserieprodukte and coffee Mercury outlets that have since been continued in a much reduced number of sites from a family of Ennenda in the canton of Glarus branded confectionery Mercury.

In October 2006, expressed Hachette Distribution Services, a subsidiary of the French defense and media group Lagardère, interest in the Valora Holding. The non-binding takeover offer has been classified and rejected by Valora as unattractive.

In March 2007, Valora announced at the presentation of the financial figures a profit for the year 2006. Previously, among other things, the Valora Imaging Division had been sold to Fotolabo. In fiscal 2005, Valora had reported a loss. As a further restructuring step, the intention was announced that still sell to be profitable production companies of Valora Trade possible in the current fiscal year.

At the General Meeting of Valora Holding on April 29, 2009 included a reduction of share capital and the relocation of the company headquarters from Bern to Muttenz was decided. The registered office was completed 30 April 2009.

Divisions

Valora Retail

The Valora Retail segment comprises the retail business of the Group, which contributes about 55 percent of group sales. At its core is the k kiosk brand that visually has not relate to the former parent company Mercury for a new launch. In addition to the usual regular range - Press products, in particular newspapers, magazines, confectionery, tobacco and lottery games (services) - perform various locations on the target group oriented product lines consisting of books, a limited selection of foods, snack or cafe corners. Under the brand Caffè Spettacolo Valora operates a Kaffeehaus-/Bistrokette. In Germany, Valora Retail 's largest railway station bookstores and opened since 2006 also stores outside of train stations and airports.

The division Valora Retail heard a stake in the Cevanova AG, originally a joint venture between Valora, the Migros Cooperative Association and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB ), on which the three partners each held a third. The Cevanova operates as Franchiser the shops under the brand avec, which are found especially in mid-sized stations. The basic concept was that Valora supplies the avec- shops with their kiosk and beverage assortment, Migros controls a basic range of foods added while the SBB contribute the premises at most no longer manned stations and so despite no longer profitable ticket office aging for avec continue offer a range of billet by the respective sales staff. After disagreements, SBB have withdrawn in mid-2005 from the joint venture, in which the Migros and Valora are now involved alone half each. In 2008, this cooperation was terminated, and also split the existing and planned locations for each half. Valora took avec avec shops and the brand, the Migros Cevanova ag and executes half of the former shops as Migrolino.

Since September 2012, the German pretzel Ditsch belong together with their Swiss subsidiary Brezelkönig to Valora Retail.

Valora Services

The combined in the field Valora Services Press Wholesale contributes about 20 percent of consolidated sales. It includes the rear logistics of Valora Retail over which the 1500 Group's own sites with press products are supplied, also around 7,000 independent kiosks, convenience stores and retailers are supplied with press range, including various station kiosks respectively railway bookstalls in neighboring countries.

Valora Trade

Valora Trade is a distribution organization of third party brands (including Ferrero and Kellogg's ) in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods ( FMCG) sector with Vetriebskanälen in retail and wholesale trade, food service, health stores, pharmacies and perfumeries. The network of Valora Trade includes seven countries ( DACH countries: Valora Trade Austria, Valora Trade Germany and Valora Trade Switzerland; Nordics countries: Valora Trade Denmark, Valora Trade Finland, Valora Trade Norway and Valora Trade Sweden). The distribution services of Valora Trade include key account management, Principal Account Management / Trade Marketing, sales & logistics supply chain. The Valora Trade took over the company Engelschiøn Marwell Hauge AS ( EMH) in 2010, and had opened up the sales of cosmetics products in Norway. In 2011 took over the Valora Trade Scandinavian Cosmetics ( ScanCo ) and gained access to the cosmetics distribution in Sweden.

Valora Management Services

Valora Management Services is a cross- division, so Division Cross and has exposure to all areas. In the said division areas as construction and architecture, internal and external logistics, and property management and IT are located. In summary, these are all background areas which have no influence on the added sales at retail or media business.