Sodalis Group has finalised its acquisition of the iconic Italian make-up brand Deborah, enabling this fine example of Italian cosmetic excellence to look confidently towards the future.

 

Sodalis and Deborah have reached an agreement for the acquisition by Sodalis of 100% of the Deborah Group.

The takeover will allow Deborah to embark on a new strategic plan as an Italian company, and further strengthen Sodalis as the leading all-Italian cosmetics group.

Deborah and Sodalis share not just an innate passion for beauty, a deep pride in the Made in Italy label, and great satisfaction in being leaders in a market virtually monopolised by foreign giants. Every day they rise to the challenge by wielding the weapons of unrivalled quality, innovation and an unswerving focus on the product.

Backed by a decidedly dynamic history during which the company made 20 successful acquisitions in 20 years, Sodalis intends to seamlessly incorporate Deborah into its group, leveraging the expertise of both sides in branding and operating a thriving franchise, with a view to harmonising in-house corporate processes and relaunching the Deborah Group by further expanding the business both in Italy and internationally.

Accordig to Fabio Granata, CEO of Sodalis Group: “The acquisition of Deborah allows us to consolidate our presence in make-up, a growing market featuring extremely promising trends, with an extremely well-known brand and leadership positions in the sector. We are confident that by joining forces we will build a solid and sustainable future for the brand, in Italy and abroad.”

Giovanni Pietro Bonetti, Deborah Group Chairman, commented: “The choice of Sodalis as our new shareholder will keep a historic and highly recognised brand in Italy – otherwise it might have ended up in the crosshairs of foreign buyers. In addition, Sodalis has a proven track record in integrating and developing brands and will give Deborah a new lease of life while at the same time respecting its identity”.

The transaction will be finalized at the end of 2018.

Deborah Group was assisted in the deal by financial advisor Umberto Giovine, along with the law firm Kellerhals Carrard, and by Giuseppe Leoni of Studio Guasti for the economic aspects.

Sodalis Group was assisted by financial advisor Alberto Gennarini of Vitale & Co, with Marco Fazzini from Studio Cartella provided legal counsel.

 

About Sodalis Group

Sodalis Group is the Italian market leader in Beauty, Personal & Home Care; it is a multi-brand multi-channel company with strong positions in the large-scale retail, pharmacy and perfumery channels. The group has a dynamic history, having it successfully completed 20 acquisitions in 20 years. Sodalis reports continuous growth thanks to its talent for integrating and expanding new businesses, and is today acknowledged as a unique player on the Italian and European cosmetics scene.

Today the group, which operates in Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and Russia and is expanding internationally, attracts millions of consumers every day thanks to its extensive portfolio of highly appealing and well-recognised proprietary brands.

These include:

BioNike, the number one brand in Italy in Dermocosmetics, sold through pharmacies;

Tesori d’Oriente, Vidal, Lycia, Fresh & Clean and Leocrema: Personal Care brands boasting significant positions in the Italian large-scale retail market, and continuously expanding abroad;

Biopoint: the leading Hair Care brand in Italian perfumeries;

L’Arbre Vert: the top eco-friendly brand the French Home Care market.

Wash & Go: a Hair Care brand positioned very strongly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Vitesse, Super Pop, Mistolin, Feno de Portugal: all brands with a major market share in the Personal & Home Care sector across the Iberian peninsula.

Sodalis makes over €430 million in net revenues from its proprietary brands, and has over 540 employees, more than 200 agents and 3 research and production sites.

www.sodalisgroup.com

 

About Deborah Group

Founded in 1903, Deborah Group is a leading Italian name in cosmetics; its extensive brand portfolio aims to foster quality and beauty with the Made in Italy label, and to reach a variety of targets (based on age, lifestyle and gender): Deborah Milan, Debby, Rouge Baiser Paris, Dermolab, Bioetyc.
Distributed through large-scale retail outlets, specialised Beauty stores and perfumeries, Deborah has made innovation and excellence in fashion make-up affordable for all women, continuing to win over consumers thanks to exclusive combinations of colors, textures, performance and design.
Notably, the Deborah Milano brand has for years been a leading name in the Italian Drug and Food channels thanks to its focus on innovation and the superb quality of its affordably priced products: these two features are embedded in the company’s DNA. The company also operates a network of single-brand stores in Italy, and its exports deliver the Made in Italy beauty to more than 60 countries, generating revenues of approximately €75 million. The company has over 180 employees in Italy and Spain.
www.deborahgroup.com