LeGuide.com announces today the signature of a purchase agreement with Microsoft regarding the acquisition of its online shopping guide Ciao. With this operation, still subject to legal precedent conditions, LeGuide.com would become the 1st independent online shopping guide in Europe.
Ciao, Europe’s leading shopping guide
Founded in 1999 and present in 7 countries – Germany, United-Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands and Sweden – Ciao is the number one shopping guide in Europe with an audience of 20.8 million unique visitors*. Since its integration into Microsoft, Ciao has also been operating Bing’s shopping engine in Europe.
LeGuide.com would become the 1stindependent shopping guide in Europe
With this acquisition, the company would become the 1st independent shopping guide in Europe with an audience of 20.8 Million of Unique Visitors for Ciao and 15.25 Million Unique Visitors for LeGuide.com*, reaching an unduplicated audience of 32.7 Million Unique Visitors.
“When completed, this acquisition would represent a huge step forward in our development strategy as it would instantly grant us a leading independent position in Europe. We would greatly benefit from the new size of the group which would give us a unique position in the European market. Furthermore, this transaction offers key synergies in terms of technology, scale, and marketing. Last but not least, LeGuide.com Group would combine the talent, expertise and technology of the two organizations, focused on the goal of helping online shoppers make wise online purchase decisions. In addition, our e-commerce partners would benefit from considerable increase in qualified traffic we will able to direct via our websites comments Corinne Lejbowicz, chairman of LeGuide.com Group.
Terms of the acquisition
The acquisition of Ciao’s assets – for an undisclosed sum – would entirely be realised in cash and its financing would be secured without debt.
About Ciao
Ciao is one of Europe’s leading social shopping and consumer platforms with over 6 million reviews. By offering a wide product range in 7 different countries and languages: (www.ciao.de, www.ciao.co.uk, www.ciao.fr, www.ciao.it, www.ciao.es, www.ciao-shopping.nl, www.ciao.se), Ciao is the perfect platform for merchants and advertisers to connect with their specific target groups. Ciao Headquarters are based in Munich, Germany and was founded in 1999. Ciao addresses 20,8 million unique visitors in Europe.
About LeGuide.com Group
LeGuide.com Group, a publisher of online shopping guides, comparison websites, shopping search engines and platforms for consumer ratings, has a total audience of 15,25 Million Unique Visitors. LeGuide.com is present in 14 European countries through a multi-site strategy surrounding a brand portfolio, including leguide.com, dooyoo.com, mercamania.com and antag.com. LeGuide.com generated €20,4m in revenue for the first nine months of the year 2011 and has a TEAM of 99 employees as of June 30th 2011. LeGuide.com has been certified as an “Innovative company” by OSEO (a French public agency that supports SMEs) and is listed on the Alternextboard of NYSE Euronext Paris (ticker: ALGUI; ISIN code: FR0010146092).
LeGuide.com was advised on this acquisition by Bryan Garnier and Bird&Bird.
*Source :ComScore – November 2011
LeGuide.com
Olivia Fuchs
+33 1 55 43 37 29
finance@leguide.com
Anaïs de Scitivaux
+33 1 56 88 11 14
adescitivaux@actifin.fr
For more information: www.leguide.com/finance
