Birkenstock to acquire Australian distributor

German footwear provider Birkenstock is set to take direct control of its distribution in Australia. On Wednesday, the publicly listed parent company, Birkenstock Holding Plc, announced it will acquire the distribution company Birkenstock Australia Pty. Ltd. through its subsidiary, Birkenstock International Asia GmbH. A corresponding binding agreement has already been signed. The transaction is expected to be completed before the end of the month.

According to the parent company, the Melbourne-based Birkenstock Australia was founded in the 1990s and is still owned by the founding Goerke family. It operates two stores in Melbourne, a partner store in Sydney, and an online shop. The wholesale network currently includes more than 300 business-to-business (B2B) partners. Birkenstock Australia employs approximately 60 people, and its most recent annual turnover was 88.6 million Australian dollars.

Birkenstock invests in a key Asia-Pacific market

The acquisition highlights the footwear provider's commitment to “invest in the Australian market” and to “further tap the growth potential of one of Birkenstock's largest markets in the Asia-Pacific region,” a statement read.

According to the company, Marcel Goerke will continue to lead Birkenstock Australia as managing director for the time being to ensure a smooth transition. The aim of this solution is to “maintain key business relationships and minimise operational risks,” Birkenstock explained. In his future role, Goerke will report to Klaus Baumann, the group's chief sales officer.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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