A Hamburg-based business-to-business marketplace has consolidated two of its brands under one umbrella: “Wer liefert was” (WLW) and Europages are now part of the new corporate brand Visable. The brand digitizes marketing and sales for European small-to-medium-sized businesses.
The move will allow Visable to internationalize its business and compete with internet giants from the U.S., India, and China. “We are the leading European player in the online b-to-b sector and want to become the improved Alibaba of Europe,” CEO Peter F. Schmid said.
Visable is active in 29 European markets and has been on an expansion drive in recent years. Its latest acquisition took place last month when WLW acquired German start-up and marketplace Gebraucht.de for an undisclosed sum.
The buy-out fits into Visable’s overall growth strategy as the company seeks to bolster its reach. Further acquisitions are likely. “There are millions available for this every year, and there’s no ruling out further takeovers in the future,” Schmid said.
Visable aims for double-digit sales growth in the coming years. WLW’s group turnover is expected to increase from around €50 million ($56.9 million) in 2018 to €100 ($113.7 million) in the medium term.
More than 3.7 million b-to-b shoppers visit WLW and Europages each month. Both businesses will continue as Visable brands. With a staff count of roughly 370 employees, Visable operates from its offices in Hamburg, Berlin, and Paris.