EANS-News: Valora Holding AG / Valora acquires K. Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen GmbH & Co KG, Austria´s leading railway station bookseller

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Company Information

Muttenz, October 29, 2011 (euro adhoc) - Valora acquires K.
Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen GmbH & Co KG, Austria´s leading railway
station bookseller, thus extending its Retail division´s geographic
market coverage

- Purchase to add 12 outlets in prime locations
- All German-speaking national markets now covered

Purchase to add 12 outlets in prime locations With effect from
January 1, 2012, Valora has acquired K. Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen
GmbH & Co KG (Schmelzer-Bettenhausen), Austria´s leading railway
station bookseller. The transaction will raise Valora´s previous 22%
minority interest to one of full ownership of this well-established
company, originally founded in 1926. Under its "press&more" banner,
Schmelzer-Bettenhausen operates 12 stores at top-quality sites. The
company, which has a staff of some 70 employees, generated turnover
of just over EUR 12 million in 2010.

All German-speaking national markets now covered Valora´s acquisition
of Schmelzer-Bettenhausen is an important element in the Group´s
further expansion of its market activities in the German-speaking
European markets (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). 8 of the 12
stores Valora has purchased are located in Austria´s largest railway
stations, with another two at Vienna airport. Increasing passenger
numbers on Austrian Federal Railways and the substantial investments
Austria is making in its railway infrastructure offer very attractive
opportunities for further profitable growth. Valora sees additional
potential in product-range streamlining and in the deployment in
Austria of the Group´s established and highly successful
"Press&Books" format, whose current network comprises some 200
outlets in Germany and Switzerland.

Commenting on the transaction, Thomas Vollmoeller, Valora´s CEO,
said, "We are delighted to have been able to acquire Austria´s
leading railway station bookseller. This not only enables us to fill
a major geographic gap in our network, but also provides us with an
excellent opportunity to build on our skills in this area."

K. Schmelzer- J. Bettenhausen GmbH & Co KG Under its "press&more"
banner, the company operates 12 stores selling press products and
travel literature at major railway stations in Austria and at Vienna
airport. The range of titles on offer includes newspapers,
periodicals and paperbacks, as well as best-selling non-fiction and
literature. A selection of food and non-food items completes the
product range. The company´s previous majority shareholder was
Morawa, Austria´s largest press distributor.

Further inquiry note:
Investor Relations:
Mladen Tomic
Tel.: +41 58 789 12 20
E-Mail: mladen.tomic@valora.com

oder

Media Relations:
Stefania Misteli
Tel.: +41 58 789 12 01
E-Mail: stefania.misteli@valora.com

end of announcement euro adhoc
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company: Valora Holding AG
Hofackerstrasse 40
CH-4132 Muttenz
phone: +41 61 467 20 20
FAX: +41 58 789 12 12
mail: info@valora.com
WWW: www.valora.com
sector: Retail
ISIN: CH0002088976
indexes:
stockmarkets: stock market: BX Berne eXchange, Main Standard: SIX Swiss Exchange
language: English