About us:

 

Launched in 2003 with 10 000,00 EUR share capital, the Smart&Co group achieved in excess of 300 million EUR turnover in 2009. The companies of the Smart&co group provide professionals in the leisure industry with the best distribution channels as well as with efficient ways of boosting their sales, occupancy rates and margins. 

Smart&co’s strategic position relies on two market observations. Firstly, the international leisure industry represents one of the most important market segments in the industrialized world (with an expected average annual growth above 5% for the decades to come). Secondly, this market segment is hugely segmented and therefore holds numerous opportunities to intermediate offer and demand.

Smart&co was created in 2003 and currently employs over 700 people in 20 countries. Having achieved sales of 337M€ in 2009 Smart&Co has the ambition to become a world-wide leader in leisure intermediation by 2020 through organic growth, geographic expansion and acquisitions.

 

The Smart&co portfolio companies are primarily focused on the gift market. Historically, the group first positioned itself on that market with Smartbox, the world-wide leader of gift boxes. Smartbox sold 3,2 million gift boxes throughout 20 countries in 2009. The group then launched Euphorie, Smartexperience, Ideall and Zenaé on that same gift market. 

The group’s second axis of development is in e-commerce where Smart&co operates three business lines. Weekendesk is the leader for the online booking of short breaks and charming getaways in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Buyagift, the UK leader for online gift experiences was acquired in August 2009 and has already entered the French market with Coolcadeau. Lafourchette.com is the first restaurant booking website in France and Spain and sits across the internet booking technologies and online media markets.

Finally, the group also extended the range of its business lines to the publishing market with the launch of Le Guide Malin in couponing and the acquisition of the famous Gault Millau guide for wines and restaurants in February 2009.

Development Strategy:

 

Smart&co’s success first and foremost belongs to its original company: Smartbox. In 2008, Smartbox represented over 85% of the group’s turnover. This initial success has allowed the group to generate the cash which was subsequently invested in the roll-out of its strategy in the leisure industry.

New group companies are either launched organically or acquired, as was the case with Lafourchette.com in December 2008, Gault Millau in February 2009 and Buyagift in August 2009.

Our History:

 

2003
Launch of Weekendesk France by Pierre-Edouard Sterin. The company negotiates a licensing agreement to sell gift boxes, a concept developed by Weekendesk Belgium, in France.

2004
The company succeeds in achieving sales of over 1M€.

2005
First on-line booking / e-commerce facility. First step abroad with the launch of Smartbox in the UK.

2006
Continued international expansion in Spain and Switzerland.

2007
LBO with Naxicap Partners to finance the acquisition of Weekendesk Belgium. Weekendesk is re-branded Smart&co. Ongoing international development.

2008
International development outside of Europe with the launch of the US, Brazil, Canada and Japan. Acquisition of a start-up in the technology/restaurant market: Lafourchette.com.

2009
Acquisition of Gault Millau in February and of Buyagift in August. Launch of the new Ideall and Zenaé businesses. Smartbox starts three new countries: Australia, Austria and China.

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