Share your coffee stories with us by writing to info@comunicaffe.com.
MILAN – Lavazza Group, one of the world’s leading coffee roasters, is considering a tie-up with the Bavarian company Dallmayr, which specialises in coffee, tea and vending machines, with a turnover of around €1.2 billion, according to Italian daily Corriere della Sera. The Italian coffee roaster hired Goldman Sachs to help with the negotiation, which is in a preliminary phase and may not reach an agreement.
Lavazza has not yet commented on the rumours that have been circulating since Friday. However, according to the Milanese daily, the possible merger would involve a share swap, which would see the Italian roasting family retain a majority stake in the new combined business.
The hypothesis, as formulated by Corriere, leaves somewhat perplexed as it does not seem to align with the traditional philosophy of a family-owned company, jealous of its independence, such as Lavazza.
Nevertheless, we will wait to see the exact terms of the deal, should it materialise.
According to the company’s website, Dallmayr was founded, over three centuries ago, as a shop in Munich and is still family-owned, with Johannes Dengler and Florian Randlkofer at the helm. Active in more than 50 countries, mainly Germany, the company generates annual revenues of 1.2 billion and employs around 4,800 people.
Dallmayr coffee is one of the leading Bavarian branded food products. The company’s official website states that over 80,000 tonnes of coffee are roasted annually in the company’s roasting plants in Germany, supplying both supermarkets and the foodservice sector..
Dallmayr Vending & Office also ranks fifth among European vending machine leaders, with over 121,000 machines for coffee, cold drinks, and snacks. Notably, the Bavarian company’s entire fleet comprises telemetered machines equipped with the industry’s most advanced solutions.
According to Corriere della Sera, the brand also owns the largest delicatessen shop in Europe, which is visited by 3.5 million people every year.
Lavazza ended 2024 with revenues of €3.35 billion (+9.1%), a profit margin of €312 million (+18.6%), and profits of €82 million (+21%).
The merger of Lavazza and Dallmayr would create a giant with revenues of almost €5 billion and would make Germany Lavazza’s third largest market after Italy and France.
