Loy & Co. provided comprehensive support to the ANWR Group in the acquisition of shares in ECC European Clearingcenter GmbH & Co. KG.
The Transaction
The ANWR Group and other existing shareholders have acquired the remaining shares of the departing shareholder ETS in ECC European Clearingcenter GmbH & Co. KG as of January 1, 2024. This represents further investment by the retail cooperatives and industry associations in the digitalization of the industry.
The Companies
ANWR Group
The ANWR Group looks back on more than 100 years of history and, as a group of companies with a business volume of more than EUR 21 billion (2022), is one of the leading European retail cooperatives in the non-food sector. In addition to the approximately 4,800 directly affiliated independent companies in the shoe, sports, and leather goods sectors, more than 20,000 other wholesale and retail companies in over 80 international associations use the group’s services.
The ANWR Group itself employs over 1,400 people. A further 80,000 employees work for the directly affiliated retail companies.
SABU
SABU is a purchasing association for shoes, leather goods, and accessories and acts as an interface between manufacturers and retailers. The association provides its members with particularly advantageous purchasing conditions, discounts, and bonuses, which are achieved by bundling orders with manufacturers.
HDS/L
The HDS/L (Federal Association of the Shoe and Leather Goods Industry) represents the manufacturing companies in the shoe and leather goods industry and advocates for their interests vis-à-vis retailers, authorities, and legislators. The HDS/L represents manufacturers of women’s, men’s, and children’s shoes, as well as functional footwear such as comfort, safety, and sports shoes. The leather goods and luggage industry is organized within the HDS/L through manufacturers of all types of bags.
ECC
The ECC offers a wealth of digital solutions and collaborations to digitally connect industry and trade. The European Clearing Center connects suppliers and retailers in the footwear, sports, fashion, leather, and accessories sectors and is a pioneering platform for information and data exchange.
