The deal, the terms and conditions of which were not revealed, will see all the Baldessarini fragrances and body care products transferred to the Mäurer & Wirtz portfolio.
“The Baldessarini brand has enormous potential, and we seized the opportunity to acquire a further top-seller for our Prestige business,” said Mäurer & Wirtz managing partner Dr. Hermann Wirtz.
Wirtz went on to underline the fact that the company plans to be acquisitive in the future and will continue to eye further opportunities in the category: “Now and in the future, we are committed to fostering the continuous development of our product portfolio through organic growth and through specifc lincense acquisition.
Baldessarini portfolio includes Classic and Strictly Private brands
The Baldessarini fashion brand was created by Hugo Boss in 1993 in Metzingen, Germany, and was given the name of the brand’s creative director Werner Baldessarini. After signing a licensing agreement with P&G in 2002, the brand expanded beyond clothing into fragrances, which now centres on four brands: Classic, Del Mar, Ambré, Private Affairs and Strictly Private.
Werner Baldessarini was involved in the negotiations to acquire the licenses for the fragrance brands that he established and stated his belief that the brand is now in the hands of a competent and experienced international player.
The new license agreement will see the Mäurer & Wirtz business expand its capabilities in the luxury fragrance segment, in line with the business restructuring announced at the beginning of the year that was designed to position the company for further growth in its core competences.
Moving in on the Eastern European market
Mäurer & Wirtz has a stronghold on the western European market, but will be eyeing higher growth rates in the key developing markets. In particular Baldessarini has a significant presence in Eastern European markets, where growth in the luxury fragrance segment has continued to be strong.
“One of the aims we had set ourselves with this corporate reorganisation was to expand our license business in the Prestige segment and to drive the internationalisation of all three units, not only in our present markets, but also in new markets,” said Mäurer & Wirtz managing director Fabian Krone.
The restructuring, which will also include a wide range of measures to optimize the efficiency of the business and ultimately cut costs, will see the business split into Beauty, Prestige and the 4711 divisions.
Beauty, Prestige and 4711 divisions
The Beauty division now holds the company’s own fragrance brands, which include Original, Tosca and Nonchalance, as well as the ongoing licensing agreements it has with a number of fashion brands such as Betty Barclays and s. Oliver.
The Prestige unit is focused on license agreements that focus on the prestige and luxury segment, which currently holds agreements with brands such as Strellson and Michalsky, together with the Velvet Kitten and Pussy Deluxe brands.
The 4711 division encompasses the company’s Glockengasse brand, which is also the name of Maurer & Wirtz flagship store, 4711 Glockengasse, in Cologne, As well as its eponymous 4711 fragrance brand, this division houses brand extensions that includes the aromatherapy line Acqua Colonia.