ZUMIEZ INC. ACQUIRES BLUE TOMATO
Schladming, Austria – June 18, 2012 – Zumiez Inc. a leading
North American specialty retailer of action sports related apparel,
footwear, equipment and accessories, today announced that it has signed a
definitive purchase agreement to acquire Blue Tomato, a leading European
action sports retailer based in Austria.
Blue Tomato will continue to be headquartered in Schladming, Austria and
senior management led by Gerfried Schuller will continue in their current
roles.
Gerfried Schuller commented, “When I decided to sell the company I could
not imagine a better fit for how we operate than Zumiez. We have built the
leading action sports retail company in Europe and now we will be a part
of the leading action sports retailer in the United States. Starting
today, Zumiez and Blue Tomato are ready to begin a new journey to become
the world’s leader in action sports retailing.”
Lynn Kilbourne, President of Zumiez Inc., stated “We have been researching
the European action sports market for some time. Last year we had the
opportunity to visit Blue Tomato stores, meet their employees, and discuss
the business with Gerfried Schuller. Clearly they have created a great
company with aligned values and principles to Zumiez. Blue Tomato offers a
broad offering of authentic brands and products, a differentiated retail
experience, a multi-channel operation, and superior customer service. We
knew Blue Tomato was the right partner for Zumiez European expansion
plans. We look forward to working together to leverage our combined
expertise to selectively expand Blue Tomato’s European footprint and
strengthen our foundation to support future international development.
Zumiez was advised on the transaction by a unit of Duff & Phelps, LLC
(NYSE:DUF) and K&L Gates LLP. Blue Tomato was advised by Altium Capital AG
and Eisenberger & Herzog Rechtsanwalts GmbH.
About Zumiez Inc.
Founded in 1978 by Thomas Campion,
Zumiez is a
leading specialty retailer of action sports related apparel, footwear,
equipment and accessories. Zumiez stores cater to young men and women
between ages 12-24, focusing on skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding,
motocross and BMX.
Zumiez Inc.
currently operates more than 450 stores in the USA and Canada and also
runs a fast growing online business at
www.zumiez.com.
About Blue Tomato
Blue Tomato is the leading European multi-channel retailer
for board sports and related apparel and footwear. Founded in 1988 by
Gerfried Schuller, Blue Tomato operates 5 stores throughout Austria, and
operates the
www.blue-tomato.com ecommerce site available in 14 languages selling
across Europe.
Rückfragehinweis:
Alexander Zezula
Telefon: +43/(0)3687/24223-7400
E-Mail:
Alexander.Zezula@blue-tomato.com
zu den Social Channels:
Twitter-News von Gerfried
Schuller
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Gerfried Schuller, Gründer und Geschäftsführer von Blue Tomato
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Gerfried Schuller, Gründer und Geschäftsführer von
Blue Tomato
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