Buero.de, a German office supply retailer, is reportedly up for sale. This development comes amid recent plans for an IPO and store closures, signaling major changes for the company.
Internal documents obtained by t-online reveal that office supply retailer buero.de is likely to be put up for sale. The supervisory board’s resolution states a preference for selling the buero.de group, either in whole or in parts, in relation to the executive board’s strategic decisions.
Markus Schön, CEO of buero.de, confirmed the sale plans when questioned. “It’s correct; alongside considerations for an IPO, we have also initiated sales considerations for our group,” he stated. This potential sale would affect approximately 1,000 employees of the company.
From potential buyer to seller
Buero.de gained public attention last year when it entered discussions about the future of the department store chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof. At that time, CEO Schön discussed the failed negotiations in an interview with t-online.
The news of buero.de’s own potential sale comes as a surprise, especially considering recent developments. The company had introduced new products and was working on transforming into a digital marketplace. There had also been speculation about a potential stock market entry.
Unclear motives and financial position
The reasons behind this planned move remain unclear, including the extent to which economic factors play a role. Last year, Schön had emphasized the company’s strong financial position, stating, “We are a family-owned business and completely equity-financed. We don’t need an investor or a bank for our operations.”
Even now, Schön maintains a confident stance. “We are selling buero.de from a position of strength; bargains are only available in our stores,” he asserted.
Market trends and potential buyers
Recent market developments may have influenced this decision. The owner families of the fashion house chain Breuninger recently announced their intention to sell their shares, causing market uncertainty.
While specific potential buyers are not yet known, Schön had previously hinted at negotiations with possible investors from the Arab region and interest from an unnamed Hamburg-based company. However, those discussions were about a partial sale rather than a complete company sale.
This news follows buero.de’s recent announcement to close more than half of its brick-and-mortar stores, reducing the number from 25 to 12. The closures primarily affect stores in the Ruhr area that were acquired from the insolvent “Pro Büro” chain about a year ago.
