Lagardère Active is selling Hachette Filipacchi Sweden

Lagardère Active has announced a next step in its rationalisation plan launched in January by its CEO Didier Quillot, with the sale of its subsidiary selling Hachette Filipacchi Sweden. This operation is subject to the approval of the Swedish Competition Authority.

Hachette Filipacchi Media and the Swedish leading publisher Allers Förlag entered in the final stage of negotiations of the sale of Hachette Filipacchi Sweden, which publishes among other titles. Elle, Café and Elle Interiör
Following Norway in April 2007 and now Sweden other countries will, as announced, switch to licensed operations by the end of the year.

Jean de Boisdeffre, Deputy CEO International of Lagardere Active and President of Hachette Filipacchi Sweden says : “Allers förlag possesses considerable competence within all aspects of magazine publishing, which guarantees continued success for Hachette’s titles in Sweden. There are no competing titles within Allers förlag, which we do consider a positive for the future extension of our brands in the Nordic Countries. This transaction is part of the new global strategy of the HFM Group under which the presence is developed, in some markets, under licence agreement with strong and solid selected partners”.

“Hachette Filipacchi Sweden is a perfect complement to our own magazine portfolio,” says Martin Hansson, CEO of Allers Förlag. ”Through the purchase of Hachette Filipacchi Sweden, Allers förlag will now have a young fashion magazine, a home-furnishings magazine and a lifestyle magazine for men. We will naturally maintain the skills and competence present in the editorial offices, and Hachette’s operations will remain in Stockholm”.

Hachette Filipacchi Sweden also publishes Elle Mat & Vin, ”along with a number of one-shots such as Elle Lyx, Café Collections and Elle Interiör Sommarstället. In addition, Hachette Filipacchi Sweden has comprehensive customer magazine operations as well as a prominent position within new media. The agreement also includes Hachette’s Swedish Internet operations such as elle.se.
Hachette Filipacchi Sweden has 85 employees and total sales of approximately SEK 180 million.

Allers Förlag is the leading publisher of popular press in Sweden with 28 titles including Allers, Året Runt, Svensk Damtidning, Femina, Må Bra, Antik & Auktion, Hemmets Veckotidning and Hänt Extra.

Lagardère Active is the Media branch of the LAGARDERE Group, a market leader in two sectors – the media (book publishing, cultural product retailing, press, audiovisual and sporting sectors) and advanced technology via its 12.48% holding in EADS.