Valora goes back to the Schweizer Chocoladen & Colonialhaus, which was founded in Olten, Switzerland in 1905, which later became known as Merkur AG. The company was initially created to sell coffee and chocolate. In 1986, Merkur AG was made into a holding company, Merkur Holding AG, and in 1996, the company was renamed to today's Valora Holding AG. In 2009, Valora generated 3 billion Swiss francs in turnover and employed 6,500 staff. Valora Trade took over Engelschiøn Marwell Hauge AS in 2010 and thus opened up the sales and distribution of cosmetic products in Norway. In 2011, Valora Trade took over Scandinavian Cosmetics and thus acquired access to cosmetic distribution in Sweden. In 2012, Valora has acquired the Ditsch / Brezelkönig group of companies, a distributor of Pretzel nationwide, for 100 million euros. In October 2013, Michael Müller was named CEO of the group. In 2014, Valora sold Valora Services to Thomas Kirschner, the majority shareholder of Presse-Vertriebs-Gesellschaft. In April 2015, Brezelkönig opened in Austria. In 2015, Valora was preparing to launch consumer loans available throughout its network of kiosques. In April 2019, Valora tested Avec Box, a mobile app-powered registerless shop.
Description
Valora operates on a Europe-wide scale in three business areas. In small-outlet retail, Valora's retail division operates through four brand names : k kiosk, avec., Caffè Spettacolo and Presse und Buch. Valora Media runs the Group’s press distribution business, while Valora Trade is a distributor of fast-moving consumer goods.
Valora Retail
Valora Retail runs a Europe-wide network of kiosks and other small-outlet retail units located at heavily frequented sites. The division distributes press products, consumer staples and items for the impulse purchase market. Valora Retail operates kiosk and railway station bookstores in Switzerland, Germany and Luxembourg. The product range on offer encompasses press titles, tobacco products, food and non-food items, as well as services. In Switzerland, its domestic market, Valora Retail operates a network of more than 1,000 k kiosk outlets throughout the country. In Luxembourg, the division operates some 80 kiosks, selling newspapers, magazines, books, tobacco products, convenience articles, lottery tickets and phone cards. These outlets are run under the k Presse + Buch and k bookstore banners. In 2009, two shops using this same concept were also opened in Switzerland. In more than 100 avec. outlets in Switzerland and the first avec. German unit grocery and impulse purchase items are available after the usual shop closing times. The focus here is on essential supermarket items. Besides fresh produce, a range of private label and branded goods is on offer, as are a variety of kiosk articles. Caffè Spettacolo flogs Italian coffee.
Valora Services
The Valora Services division is a distributor of international press products and books. Its logistics system not only supplies media products to Valora Retail’s 1,430 or so outlets, but to third party customers in Switzerland, Austria and Luxembourg as well. In Switzerland, the division is the largest independent media distributor offering international press and book products. Valora Services links publishers to their retail customers in German- and Italian-speaking Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and Luxembourg. The services it provides include picking, sorting and packing, distribution and sales promotion.
Valora Trade
The Valora Trade Division is a distribution organisation of third party brands in the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods area, with distribution channels in retail and wholesale trade, food service, drugstores, pharmacies and perfumeries. The network of Valora Trade comprises seven countries. Included in the distribution services of Valora Trade are key account management, principal account management/ trade marketing, field service and supply chain logistics.
