Maurer + Wirtz Acquires 4711

Maurer + Wirtz has acquired four perfume brands from Muelhens GmbH & Co. KG: pending approval by antitrust authorities, 4711, Tosca, Sir Irisch Moos and Extase will be sold to the company in Stolberg, whose product portfolio already includes several successful perfume brands, such as Tabac Original and Nonchalance, as well as licensed brands, such as Betty Barclay and s.Oliver.

The Muelhens fragrance business has been owned by Procter&Gamble since 2003. The traditional brands 4711, Tosca, Sir Irisch Moos and Extase currently bring in tens of millions of euros in annual sales. No information has been given regarding the transaction price.

“These brands are the perfect addition to our existing fragrance portfolio,” says Dr. Hermann Wirtz, managing partner of
Maurer + Wirtz GmbH & Co. KG, describing the logic behind the acquisition. “Our ambition is to protect what we have achieved while, at the same time, strengthening our traditional business through strategic acquisitions. We’re proud of taking advantage of this historical opportunity.”

Sales revenue for Maurer + Wirtz is currently at approx. 100 million euros, which represents a market share of 5.5% of the German market. Its newly acquired brands will fuel a significant increase in the company’s sales.  This acquisition is intended to strengthen the company’s position with its customers while securing its potential for growth in the highly competitive fragrance market.

“4711 is the classic fragrance on the German market,” said Maurer + Wirtz managing director Bert Lehnen. “We’re pleased that, thanks to our acquisition, this time-honored German brand will stay in Germany – it’s not even leaving the Rhineland!
Maurer + Wirtz has always put a premium on continuity and reliability in branding, so it practically feels like we were destined to acquire these brands.”

“We are confident that the long tradition of these brands and in particular of 4711, with its Cologne parent house in Glockengasse, will be successfully continued”, adds Hubert Frambach, P&G Managing Director MDO D/A/CH Prestige & Lifestyle.

Each year over 100 new fragrances are introduced on the German market and only a few of these survive the first year after launch. Created in 1792, “4711 Original Eau de Cologne” is a classic fragrance enjoying both a constant place high up on the list of top-selling perfumes in Germany as well as a great deal of importance abroad. Tosca and Sir Irisch Moos are likewise among the top 20 sellers in Germany.

Maurer + Wirtz is also acquiring the famous building on Cologne’s Glockengasse, an address that is irrevocably linked to the history of 4711. The company will take over all of the employees working at the site.