Maggie Beer buys hamper business for $40 million, goes digital

Prestige food producer Maggie Beer Holdings is to further its move into digital and e-commerce businesses through the purchase of a leading hampers and gifts business for $40 million.

The Barossa Valley company, which grew its e-commerce sales by 167 per cent during the Covid-19 pandemic, is purchasing 100 per cent of Hampers & Gifts Australia which operates The Hamper Emporium.

Projected revenue from the hamper business in FY21 is $36.4 million with projected earnings before interest and tax of $9 million.

The CEO and all directors, including Maggie Beer herself, will participate in a $30 million capital raising showing their confidence in the company’s fast-growing on-line links direct to consumers.

Maggie Beer said: “The most exciting thing for me is that ability to have a direct link to our customer that online sales provide.

“We can learn so much about each other.”

The company has 60,000 food club members, 115,000 Facebook followers and six million viewers for its Cooking with Maggie series, co-ordinated by a digital marketing plan and new e-commerce platform launched in November.

The company also launched a chilled products home delivery service in South Australia, Victoria, NSW and metro Queensland in October.

CEO Chantel Millard said: “It is a key strategy of the MBH Group to grow its e-commerce and direct to consumer business.”

Maggie Beer plans to relocate hamper distribution to the east coast to allow faster delivery times.

Hamper founder and creative director Emily McWaters, who lives on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, will remain with the business.

Picture: The Hamper Emporium

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