Metro acquires Eijsink, a leading cloud-based POS provider, and strengthens its portfolio of digital solutions for customers
With this acquisition, METRO further accelerates the digitalisation of its HoReCa customers under the umbrella of METRO’s hospitality tech unit Hospitality Digital (HD) and its DISH solutions
- Digital solutions drive customer loyalty and are a key element of METRO’s sCore strategy which aims to achieve 40% digital sales share by 2030
- Eijsink provides Point of Sale (POS) systems for the hospitality industry to approx. 8,000 customers, mainly in Benelux
- METRO serves 1.6 million hospitality customers worldwide – POS system will first be rolled out across Europe
- The closing of the transaction has already been completed
- Conseiller was the legal advisor of Eijssink in this transaction
Düsseldorf/Hengelo, March 31, 2022 – METRO AG is further expanding its range of digital solutions for the hospitality industry. With the acquisition of Eijsink, a recognized provider of POS systems for the hospitality industry, the group is taking another strategic step towards becoming a multichannel solution provider. A seamlessly integrated POS is at the heart of hospitality operations and hence a key component. It also enables the connection of the POS to METRO’s ordering system and delivery services – the core of METRO’s business. Founded more than 3 decades ago and headquartered in the Netherlands, Eijsink offers with its flagship product booq a cloud-based, device-independent POS system. The company currently has approx. 8,000 customers and 200 employees and is EBITDA and cash-flow positive. In recent years, Eijsink has successfully introduced booq to the Benelux market. By partnering with METRO’s Tech unit HD, specialised in the digitalization of the hospitality industry, booq can be easily connected to the existing DISH solutions, such as DISH Order. It will now be rolled out to around 2 European countries p.a., leveraging METRO’s access to 1.6 million hospitality customers.
“As part of its sCore strategy and its multichannel business model, METRO drives the digitalisation of its customers’ core processes. The acquisition of Eijsink pays off on this strategy. With booq, we can offer our customers a comprehensive suite of digital tools. METRO, with its broad country presence, access to the hospitality industry and 6,750 sales representatives, is a strong partner for Eijsink to accelerate the international roll-out of booq. METRO will benefit from the planned integration of its core processes such as delivery and replenishment into booq”, explains Dr Steffen Greubel, CEO of METRO AG.
The POS system booq is device-independent and will enable the connection of numerous digital tools developed and offered by METRO’s hospitality tech unit HD. These solutions include, for example, table reservation and online ordering systems for pick-up and delivery services, but also other applications such as electronic payment processes, replenishment, and employee management. With the acquisition, HD expands its product portfolio and creates a comprehensive digital solution offering right through to the payment process. For customers, this means enhanced added value through further digitalisation of their processes and broad data insights. Dr Volker Glaeser, CEO of Hospitality Digital: “Our hospitality customers demand cloud-based point of sale solutions, integrating services such as reservation or pickup and delivery. Combining the strengths of booq and DISH, we will be able to offer a highly attractive proposition. I look forward to working as one great team with high ambitions with our new partner.”
Ferenc Birkenhäger, Managing Director of Eijsink: “With around 200 employees at 6 locations and an expected annual turnover of more than €25 million in 2022, Eijsink has grown into a well-known player for POS systems in the Benelux market since its foundation in 1984. We are excited to partner with METRO and Hospitality Digital. It gives us new opportunities to expand our business and to further innovate the European HoReCa sector.”
Eijsink will continue to be active in the Dutch market. METRO has given a strong commitment to the employees of Eijsink as well as its current locations. The current owners of Eijsink will continue to support the rollout of booq and its integration in HD’s digital tools in leading management functions. Both parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments, which specializes in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants, and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders (Traders). Around the world, METRO has some 17 million customers who benefit from the wholesale company’s unique multichannel mix. This allows customers to choose between shopping at one of the large-scale local stores or delivery (Food Service Distribution, FSD) – all digitally supported and connected. At the same time, METRO MARKETS is an international online marketplace for professional customers that has been growing and expanding continuously since 2019. ‘Acting sustainably’ is one of METRO’s corporate principles. METRO has been listed in various sustainability indices and rankings for many years, including FTSE4Good, MSCI, CDP and Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which confirms that METRO is very engaged in the areas of climate protection, avoidance of plastic and food waste as well as procurement of more sustainable product assortments. METRO operates in more than 30 countries and employs over 95,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2020/21, METRO generated sales of €24.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.metroag.de or www.mpulse.de, our online magazine.
Hospitality Digital (HD) was established in 2015 as a wholly owned subsidiary of METRO AG to develop digital solutions that contribute to the success of HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and caterers). The easy to-use tools are designed for the demanding day-to-day of gastronomy business owners to save time and money. Under the DISH brand, HD provides competitive solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of the industry: online food ordering without any additional commission fee, ability to take reservations 24/7, menu profitability calculation, online presence management in internet and across 20+ social media networks among others. More than 200.000 restaurateurs across 16 countries already use digital solutions of Hospitality Digital to improve their business performance. www.hd.digital
Eijsink is market leader in the Netherlands with digitalisation solutions for the hospitality and leisureindustry. With 200 employees at 6 locations, and an expected annual turnover of more than €25 million in 2022, Eijsink has grown into a well-known player in the Benelux market since its foundation in 1984. Market knowledge, personal attention and meaningful solutions have distinguished Eijsink for over 35 years. The market knowledge, combined with the personal approach and 24/7 service is unique in the Dutch market plus the trusted and successful concept of Eijsink for years. Under the booq brand, Eijsink helps entrepreneurs run their businesses more successfully. booq is the omnichannel software platform that helps entrepreneurs to organize processes more efficiently to achieve greater returns. The platform optimizes processes around the stay of guests in hospitality establishments, while the guest-experience remains as high as possible. As part of the platform, entrepreneurs can purchase various booq Bricks to operate successfully, from POS systems to staff planning and from QR ordering to digital kitchen screens. Based on device agnostic, ultimate flexibility, competitive pricing, and cloud-based technology, booq gained already a leading position in the Benelux market. www.eijsink.nl.