Office Depot Europe | Acquire Viking

The RAJA Group, Europe’s leading multichannel distributor of supplies and equipment for businesses, announces the successful acquisition of Viking and Office Depot Europe business, which operates in seven European countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium. The finalisation of the acquisition from the AURELIUS investment group follows obtaining the necessary authorisations from the regulatory authorities.

The RAJA Group strengthens its positions in the office supplies and equipment market

The RAJA Group, present in 19 countries in Europe, is the European leader in the distribution of packaging, industrial equipment, hygiene products, maintenance and personal protection and, since the acquisition in 2019 of JPG in France, Mondoffice in Italy and Kalamazoo in Spain, a major player in the market for professional solutions for workspaces. The acquisition of Viking enables the Group to complete its geographical coverage, to develop its logistics capacities with the distribution centres of Leicester in the United Kingdom and Großostheim in Germany, and to strengthen its positions in this strategic market.

“This acquisition is a unique opportunity that fits perfectly with our strategy of being a global partner of companies for all their needs for packaging solutions, office supplies and industrial equipment, with 250,000 products, available everywhere in Europe” says Danièle Kapel-Marcovici, RAJA Group CEO.

Viking, the e-commerce brand of Office Depot Europe, projects to achieve a turnover of nearly €500 million in 2021. With JPG, Mondoffice, Kalamazoo and now Viking, the RAJA Office activity will cover 10 countries in Europe which will enable the RAJA Group to become the leader in BtoB e-commerce in the office supplies market in Europe.

Viking, a major player in office supplies and workplace solutions

The RAJA Group aims to give back a strong identity to the Viking brand, a major player in Europe for many years in terms of innovation and customer service. The Group will strengthen its local sales teams and its European sales organisation to support international customers with a broad and competitive offer. The acquisition also paves the way for significant synergies in purchasing, transportation, marketing and sales, which will improve Viking’s economic performance.

With Viking, the RAJA Group will serve more than 2 million customers in Europe, bring together 4,500 employees and has set itself the goal of reaching a turnover of 1.7 billion euros in 2022.

“The finalisation of the acquisition of Viking is an important step in the development of our Group. I am happy to welcome the 1,500 new employees to the RAJA Group team and to invite them to share our values and our corporate culture. Their professionalism and experience will be major assets in improving customer satisfaction and creating a new dynamic of growth with the support of the RAJA Group,” says Danièle Kapel-Marcovici.

Raffael Reinhold, CEO of Office Depot Europe: “We are delighted that the transaction has been successfully concluded and that we are now part of the RAJA Group. This new structure will further support our strategic transformation and secure the long-term position of the Viking brand in Europe as a leading provider of workspace solutions.”