The 3i-backed company GartenHaus continues its international growth with the acquisition of the UK D2C retail firm.
3i Group has announced that Gartenhaus, a digital leader in garden homes, sheds, saunas and related products in Northern Europe, has acquired Outdoor Toys, a leading online D2C retailer of outdoor garden toys in the UK. As part of the transaction, 3i will invest c.€56m of additional capital.
Founded in 2006 by James Owen and based in Mid Wales, Outdoor Toys is among the largest outdoor garden toys specialists in the UK. The company offers over 1,000 products and specialises in modular toys, including swing sets, slides and climbing frames, as well as ride-on toys, trampolines, sandpits and accessories.
The company operates a vertically integrated value chain with its own product design, UK manufacturing, customer service, dedicated logistics fleet and direct online sales to customers through its own website as well as online marketplaces.
Outdoor Toys is known for its comprehensive customer service and strong customer satisfaction, with a reputation for quality. The company has delivered sales growth of 70% per annum since 2019 and shipped over a million items in the last twelve months.
This acquisition expands GartenHaus’s product portfolio and geographic reach whilst also enabling Outdoor Toys to increase its international reach. The combined business will be able to cross sell its products to customers as well as benefit from online marketing, customer service and supply chain synergies. The acquisition also supports GartenHaus’s ambition of building the leading European platform for home and garden projects.
The acquisition is the second for GartenHaus since 3i’s investment in September 2020. Based on the strong organic performance of GartenHaus as well as the two strategic acquisitions, total EBITDA of the group has tripled since 3i´s original investment.
James Owen, founder and CEO of Outdoor Toys said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with GartenHaus to bring our award winning products to even more customers across Europe. We are excited for the future and look forward to continuing to grow Outdoor Toys whilst benefitting from the know-how of GartenHaus and its strong platform.”
Sebastian Arendt, CEO of GartenHaus added: “I would like to welcome James and the Outdoor Toys team to GartenHaus. There is a strong fit between our businesses and we look forward to working together as we continue our growth. 3i’s backing and international network have been instrumental in our achievements to date and we are excited to look ahead at further international expansion.”
