VEENDAM, Netherlands — The newly founded EQOM Group has acquired Norwegian sexual wellness retailer Kondomeriet and Dutch adult retailer Christine le Duc.
"The acquisition of these two major retail brands creates a partnership between Europe’s biggest erotic companies with both a powerful online sales channel and physical stores," noted a rep. "The multinational in sexual wellness aims for global leadership with a turnover of €500 million by 2025."
The rep described EQOM Group as "a consortium of large erotic companies that supply pleasure products to both consumers and retailers. All the affiliated companies in the group keep their own individual brand names. The consortium was created in 2020 when erotica giant EDC Retail, European market leader and known for its subsidiaries EDC Wholesale, EasyToys and Beate Uhse, merged with wholesaler Eropartner Distribution, which supplies pleasure products in Germany and Scandinavia."
"The objective of the strategic collaboration for the coming years is to have the strongest international erotic brands join this partnership to eventually achieve worldwide market leadership in the field of sexual wellness," the rep said.
The acquisition of Kondomeriet, described as the largest supplier of sex toys in Norway, and Christine le Duc, the oldest erotic retailer in the Netherlands, brings the total turnover of EQOM Group from €100 million in 2020 to €160 million this year.
Additionally, EQOM now counts more than 300 employees.
“Not only do we want to keep our position as European market leader in 2025, but we also want to become a global player with a total turnover of half-a-billion euros,” said Eric Idema, group chairman and CEO of EDC Retail. “The new consortium will enable us to continue to respond to the worldwide increasing interest in sexual wellness products such as sex toys.”
“Europe is big enough for all of us,” Idema continued. “Instead of competing, I’d rather work together and exchange knowledge so that we can reinforce each other and take sexual wellness to a higher level. Together we can break the still prevailing taboos once and for all so that soon everyone between the North Cape and Key West will have one of our sex toys in their bedside table.”
Kondomeriet
All individual brands in the consortium will continue to operate "under their own flag and management," the rep said.
Kondomeriet will retain its nine brick-and-mortar locations in Norway and its online store. CEO Merethe Sarris, who has been with Kondomeriet for three decades, will remain in her position.
“We will continue our operations in Norway as before, with the desire to inspire the Norwegian people to a better and more playful sex life with good and pleasurable toys," Sarris said. "Together with EQOM, we will develop new products and services within our industry that will benefit our customers. Being able to work so closely with a player that is already so important in the industry, allows Kondomeriet and the EQOM Group to grow together.”
Christine le Duc
All five Christine le Duc brick-and-mortar outlets and its online store will remain; the Dutch company "will keep combining its online presence with physical experiences in its stores and at events," noted the rep.
CEO Audrey van Ham counts 15 years of industry experience and expects the merger will help the company to "further flourish and expand."
“The proven entrepreneurship and financial strength of the EQOM Group will enable us to keep growing," said van Ham.
"The female perspective is also of added value,” she continued. “The sexual wellness market is growing rapidly, and so is the share of female customers. Therefore, the sexual wellness industry must start to think along with and from the perspective of the woman. In addition, as the oldest erotic brand in the Netherlands, we take a lot of knowledge with us, especially in the field of lingerie.”
Visit EQOM.com.
