The ball is in the court: the acquisition of the Dutch home furnishing chains Kwantum and Leen Bakker by German investor Orlando Capital has been officially completed. All the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities are in. For the two major players in the discount segment of the home furnishing sector, this marks the beginning of a new, capital-rich phase.
CEO Linda Keijzer announced the news this morning (2 April). After an intensive period of preparation and legal settlement, the done deal is a fact. This puts an end to uncertainty about the future direction and creates room for a substantial investment agenda.
© Kwantum
Investing in shop formulas and services
Under the new owner Orlando Capital GmbH, the group aims to strengthen the market position of both Kwantum and Leen Bakker. The focus here is on four pillars:
- Assortment renewal: Further honing product lines to remain competitive in a challenging market.
- Shop network: Investments in the physical locations to modernise the shopping experience.
- E-commerce: Acceleration of the online growth strategy.
- Home services: Further professionalisation of services such as measuring, fitting and delivery.
Focus on the long term
Linda Keijzer expresses her pride in the resilience of the teams during the acquisition process. "Especially during this intensive period, the teams continued to build with a focus on the customer and the long term," said the CEO. According to Keijzer, the ambition of the new combination is clear: "To become better every day for our customers."
The official transfer gives the residential group the financial clout needed to accelerate in a retail market under pressure from changing consumer behaviour and rising costs. For Orlando Capital, the acquisition fits into their strategy of taking undervalued market leaders in the consumer sector to the next phase of growth.
The sale of Homefashion Group (the parent company of Kwantum and Leen Bakker) was already announced last year, but was awaiting formal approval from competition authorities. Now that the way is clear, the integration and the new investment round can start immediately.
More information:
Kwantum
www.kwantum.nl
Leen Bakker
www.leenbakker.nl
