Retail agency group Outform expands in Europe with Alrec deal
Retail marketing specialist Outform has acquired rival agency Alrec, building on its foothold in the EU.
David Littlefield of Alrec alongside Ariel Haroush and Simon Hathaway of Outform
Retail marketing specialist Alrec has been acquired by US competitor Outform Group in a bid to expand the latter’s footprint in Europe and its expertise in e-commerce and retail marketing.
Outform offers services such as design, strategy and logistics support to retailers across the globe. Though the company already has several locations in Israel, China, the UK and its home market, the deal will add 300 retail specialists in the UK, Turkey and the Netherlands to its ranks – as well as in-house manufacturing capabilities in Poland. That will bring the combined headcount of both companies to 1,000.
Founder and president of Outform Group, Ariel Haroush, told The Drum: “We’ve admired Alrec’s operational excellence for a while now, and this, combined with Outform Group’s unique approach, global footprint, and technology-driven solutions, creates a compelling offer for clients looking to shape the future of retail.”
E-commerce and retail expertise has been in high demand from clients since the beginning of the pandemic. Several recent acquisitions by agency groups have sought to bolster agency capabilities – including WPP and Havas in recent weeks.
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Simon Hathaway, EMEA group managing director at Outform, said that “we have a committed strategy and we’re bringing together the best talent in the industry. Our values chime and we share the same spirit and desire for innovation. We’re looking forward to bringing that insight, technology, and creativity to the challenges our clients face in retail and landing it in stores all over the world with operational excellence.”
Alrec was formerly owned by Dutch firm Cerla Holdings. A spokesperson for Outform Group confirmed that further details around the deal were undisclosed.