All Press Releases

The local management has acquired the Doubleday Australia Pty Ltd. book and music club in Australia and New Zealand from DirectGroup via the A&WN Trust.
 

Please refer to the following press release for details:

Círculo de Lectores on Wednesday announced a partnership with the Spanish media company Grupo Planeta in Barcelona. The key items in the agreement are that Círculo will set up sections for club customers in the 25 branches of Planeta’s Casa del Libro bookselling chain in the years ahead. The club will also expand its product range through direct-marketing and database-management cooperations, making it even more attractive for customers. Grupo Planeta will henceforth own 50 percent of Círculo de Lectores.

Porto Editora Group and DirectGroup Bertelsmann agreed on a contract subject to Anti-Trust approval for the acquisition of the DirectGroup’s Portuguese assets.

• Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. today stipulated a preliminary contract with Società Holding Industriale di Grafica S.p.A. for the acquisition of 50% of the share capital of Mondolibri S.p.A., of which Mondadori already holds 50% as part of a joint venture with DirectGroup Bertelsmann.
• The transaction value of this deal is €6.75 million.
• With this acquisition Mondadori will increase its stake in the company to 100%.

• Planned changeover at the top of the German club operations
• Fernando Carro to concentrate on duties as CEO of DirectGroup Bertelsmann and managing director of DirectGroup Spain
• Carro: “This ensures continuity of staff and strategy"

The Munich-based industrial holding AURELIUS is taking over the biggest British mail-order bookseller, Book Club Associates (BCA), with effect from 1 January 2009. Contracts governing the transaction have now been signed with BCA’s parent, Bertelsmann AG.

In July, Bertelsmann AG had announced its decision to sell its DirectGroup businesses in nine countries and concentrate on DirectGroup’s operations in the large European markets. This included the initiation of a sale process for the Dutch-language activities clustered around the ECI book club. On December 15, the Dutch investment company Clearwood announced its acquisition of the DirectGroup Benelux operations, subject to approval by the authorities and the Bertelsmann board. Please refer to Clearwood’s press release below for details.

Najafi Companies, a Phoenix, Arizona-based private investment company, has agreed to acquire the direct-to-consumer business, Direct Group North America, from Bertelsmann AG, the two companies announced today. The sale agreement, which was entered into earlier this week, is expected to close in the third quarter of 2008. Financial terms between the parties, both privately held, were not disclosed.

• Fernando Carro to supervise operations in Europe and Asia
• Direct Group North America to operate under the name of Bertelsmann Direct North America and report to Peter Olson, Member of the Bertelsmann AG Executive Board, Chairman and CEO of Random House

Book Clubs to be Integrated Into U.S. Music and DVD Direct-to-Customer Business

• Expansion of the book distribution business
• DirectGroup CEO Ewald Walgenbach: “We are continuing to make investments and pursue our strategy in a consistent manner”

France Loisirs takes over 22 shops and expands its position as No.2 book retailer

BMG Direct Acquires 100 Percent Of Columbia House

• France Loisirs further enhances its market position as second-largest distributor of books
• Strategic expansion of the club business to serve as model for other European countries as well

In an unprecedented event James Patterson, the best selling author, will be presented with the “International Thriller of the Year” award by the worldwide Bertelsmann book clubs for his new novel „Honeymoon.“ The award will be presented in a special ceremony at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The "Family Leisure Club" is a profitable club business with a growing customer base of currently 600.000 members.

Acquisition of The Columbia House Company confirms growth strategy

New thriller by best-selling U.S. author Harlan Coben to be offered to book club members in more than 15 countries on four continents

• Der Club strengthens program appeal by taking over publisher
• Wulf Böttger leaves the company

Involvement with BOL in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden will be phased out

Signaling the beginning of a strategic realignment, the Bertelsmann AG Supervisory Board – at the recommendation of the Chairman and CEO, Gunter Thielen – today announced the appointment of Ewald Walgenbach, 43, Bertelsmann AG Executive Board Member and formerly Chief Operating Officer (COO) to head DirectGroup Bertelsmann, effective immediately. The corporate division's former CEO Klaus Eierhoff, 48, will leave Bertelsmann on December 31, 2002 by mutual agreement, the company announced on Thursday in Guetersloh. He is relinquishing his seat on the Bertelsmann Executive Board, effective immediately. The parting of ways was a result of differing opinions concerning the strategic focus of Bertelsmann's direct-to-customer businesses. As part of streamlining its management structure, the position of COO has been eliminated.

• Fernando Carro Appointed to Lead German Club businesses
• Marc Oliver Sommer joins Karstadt-Quelle's executive board
• DirectGroup CEO Walgenbach: "The club is on track for success. Under Carro’s leadership the business will continue to grow dynamically."

Ewald Walgenbach: “Consequent focus on core business”

Customers benefit from Amazon.com’s free shipping and unparalleled service

Kooperativa Forbundet (KF) acquires Bokus share (BOL Sweden)

Active diversification creates new business horizons in multimedia products

It was announced today that, in a strategic move, bol.com is being refocused and will become wholly integrated into BCA, the UK’s leading book club company. This places bol.com in a stronger position than ever to gain an even greater online market share.

• Bertelsmann to Acquire Assets and Provide Funds for Creditors as Part of Financial Reorganization
• Hilbers, Fanning and Other Key Staff to Continue

• More and more members are making online purchases through DirectGroup Bertelsmann’s clubs
• BOL continues its dynamic growth in Europe and Asia

DirectGroup Bertelsmann announced today that the Bertelsmann eCommerce Group (BeCG) activities to develop digital distribution and ecommerce strategies will be assumed by the DirectGroup’s existing US-businesses by December 31, 2001. The newly formed business unit BeMusic including BMG Music Service, the world's largest record club, CDNOW, the leading online music retailer in the US and the pioneering digital music locker service, myplay will be responsible for the ongoing implementation of the online/offline music distribution strategy in the US. The strategic alliance with Napster Inc. will continue to be managed by DirectGroup Bertelsmann.

DirectGroup Bertelsmann has taken over the 50-percent share of the media club France Loisirs that formerly belonged to the Vivendi Universal Publishing, part of the French media conglomerate Vivendi

• DirectGroup integrates BOL.com and Clubs in Europe and Asia
• Direct-to-customer businesses are being developed into community-based ventures