Corporate | 28 July 2008 15:00
AURELIUS AG / Mergers & Acquisitions Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- • Acquisition of all shares from Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland • Takeover strengthens the portfolio in the Retail & Consumer Products segment Munich, July 28, 2008. Munich-based industrial holding AURELIUS has taken over all shares in RTL SHOP GmbH, Hannover. Ingbert Vöcker, CFO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, comments: 'We are glad we found a buyer with experience in the trading segment in AURELIUS, who wants to continue to develop the business of RTL SHOP together with its employees.' RTL SHOP was founded in 2001. The business markets and sells a huge assortment of goods ranging from electrical goods and household articles to cosmetic and fashion via specially designed teleshopping productions and the Internet. With its workforce of approx. 170 employees, the company headquartered in Hanover generated sales of EUR 83 million in 2007. Boasting a market share of 8 percent and a technical range of some 24 million households, RTL SHOP is the third-largest provider in the home-shopping segment in the German-Speaking part of Europe after QVC and HSE24. Dr Dirk Markus, CEO of AURELIUS, believes the new subsidiary has excellent prospects: 'The acquisition means that we will from now on have gained a foothold in a market boasting 2-digit growth and a volume of more than one billion euros. RTL SHOP meets all the requirements in order to be able to significantly expand its market share in the years to come.' At present the company has in the region of 600,000 active customers and an inventory of around four million customers. The Internet offering www.RTLSHOP.de, with annual growth rates of in excess of 60 percent achieves more than ten million customer contacts each year. RTL SHOP is the perfect addition to AURELIUS’ portfolio of shareholdings. With the subsidiary Mode & Preis, AURELIUS already possess proven expertise in the mail order segment in the German-speaking part of Europe and Eastern Europe. In France the AURELIUS subsidiary Quelle La Source is the number 3 in the mail order segment. Over the coming months and years, the aim will be to further optimize the range of goods offered by RTL SHOP. At the same time, the plan is to intensify the Internet activities of the company and to press ahead with the expansion in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The takeover of RTL SHOP by AURELIUS is still object to the approval of the anti-trust authorities. The finalization of the transaction is expected until 31 August 2008. For further information on AURELIUS please contact: Ingo Middelmenne Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Tel +49 (89) 544799 56 Tel +49 (89) 544799 55 ir@aureliusinvest.de About AURELIUS AG Munich-based AURELIUS AG acquires medium-sized companies and subsidiaries that no longer belong to the core business of their previous owners. AURELIUS also takes over companies with complex initial structures and actively continues to develop them. With the aid of a specialized task force, the company raises the value-added potential of its subsidiaries for the benefit of all involved while at the same time observing the associated social responsibility. The shares of AURELIUS AG are traded on the open market of the Frankfurt stock exchange (ISIN: DE000A0JK2A8). About Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland is one of the leading media companies in Germany. Besides the free-tv stations RTL Television, VOX and n-tv as well the shareholdings in SUPER RTL and RTL II three digital special interest channels RTL Crime, Passion and RTL Living are part of the portfolio. All online and transaction-based business areas beyond classic television are pooled under the roof of the subsidiary RTL interactive. This includes amongst others the areas Mobile and Online with the video on demand platform RTLNOW.de, the shareholding in the social network wer-kennt-wen.de or the web portal clipfish.de as well RTL Enterprises (Merchandising & Licensing), Universum Film (DVD sale & movie licensing) and RTL Games (PC and console games). 28.07.2008 Financial News transmitted by DGAP ----------------------------------------------------------------------