Austrian Post acquires majority stake in retail marketing platform

Austrian Post has bought a 60% stake in an Internet portal for special offers and retail promotions, for an undisclosed amount. The postal operator said that Aktionsfinder attracted almost 1m visits per month on average during 2014.

Buying a controlling stake in the business will help Austrian Post expand its capabilities in the digital world, while also making more use of the company’s delivery business.

Austrian Post said the website was one of the largest Internet portals for leaflets, brochures, special offers and promotions in Austria.

As well as finding vouchers and retail deals, users are provided a price comparison service for various products offered by “well-known” companies in the business, pharmacy, electronics and travel sectors.

Georg Mündl, the head of Mail Solutions at Austrian Post, said: “The aim of this acquisition in the digital offers platform Aktionsfinder is to expand the services of Austrian Post into more digital opportunities, and it makes sense to build on the synergies with our core business.”

Saltburg-based Aktionsfinder was established back in 2009 as a digital brochure distribution platform, first reaching 1m visits in a month during July 2014.

The website boasts more than 36,400 Facebook fans and more than 18,300 newsletter subscribers.

Austrian Post said the Aktionsfinder founders, Michael Niedermoser and Gerhard Froner, will remain as joint managing director on the board, with Austrian Post’s head of marketing and business development for Business Mail Solutions, Nicole Lendl, becoming a third managing director.

The two founders of the Aktionsfinder have also each retained a 20% stake in the business.