MILAN – Lavazza, Italy’s leading coffee brand and one of the largest roasters in the world, announced Monday a binding offer for the acquisition of the entire stake of Maxicoffee, a French marketplace that specialises in supplying coffee products and services. Financial details were not disclosed.
MaxiCoffee, which is jointly owned by its founder Christophe Brancato, Italian private equity group 21 Invest and other investors, operates through an online platform and some 60 retail outlets. Founded in 2007, it employs around 1,500 people, reports Reuters.
Through its coffee school “École du Café” and its “Concept Stores”, the company offers a range of 8,000 products from over 350 brands of whole bean, roast and ground and single serve coffee, as well as a variety of espresso coffee machines, coffeemakers, grinders and accessories.
The deal is subject to prior information and consultation procedure with the company’s Economic and social committee and to the approval of French regulatory authorities.
“Our strategy is to support the further development of MaxiCoffee, which will maintain its profile as a multi-brand e-commerce platform and remain independent,” Lavazza CEO Antonio Baravalle said in a statement.
“MaxiCoffee will maintain its profile as a multi-brand e-commerce platform and will remain independent. Our entry will not change its successful business model in any way, on the contrary it will favor its growth thanks to the activation of international development plans.”.
Christophe Brancato will reinvest in the capital of MaxiCoffee with a minority stake, the statement said without providing financial details.
