Kondomeriet and Christine le Duc join EQOM Group

As of today, the recently founded EQOM Group is the new owner of Norwegian sexual wellness market leader Kondomeriet and the Dutch Christine Le Duc. The acquisition of these two major retail brands creates a partnership between Europe’s biggest erotic companies with both a powerful online sales channel and physical stores. The multinational in ‘sexual wellness’ aims for global leadership with a turnover of €500 million by 2025.

The EQOM Group is a consortium of large erotic companies that supply pleasure products to both consumers and retailers. All the affiliated companies in the group keep their own individual brand names. The consortium was created in 2020 when erotica giant EDC Retail, European market leader and known for its subsidiaries EDC Wholesale, EasyToys, and Beate Uhse, merged with wholesaler Eropartner Distribution, which supplies pleasure products in Germany and Scandinavia. The objective of the strategic collaboration for the coming years is to have the strongest international erotic brands join this partnership to eventually achieve worldwide market leadership in the field of sexual wellness.

€500 million turnover
With the acquisition of the largest supplier of sex toys in Norway, Kondomeriet, and the oldest erotic company in the Netherlands, Christine le Duc, the total turnover of the EQOM Group increases from €100 million in 2020 to €160 million in 2021. Furthermore, its market share increases and the number of employees grows to more than 300. “Not only do we want to keep our position as European market leader in 2025, but we also want to become a global player with a total turnover of half a billion euros,” says Eric Idema, group chairman and CEO of EDC Retail. “The new consortium will enable us to continue to respond to the worldwide increasing interest in sexual wellness products such as sex toys.”

“Europe is big enough for all of us,” continues Idema. “Instead of competing, I’d rather work together and exchange knowledge so that we can reinforce each other and take sexual wellness to a higher level. Together we can break the still prevailing taboos once and for all so that soon everyone between the North Cape and Key West will have one of our sex toys in their bedside table.”

Kondomeriet
Despite the acquisition, all individual brands will continue to operate under their own flag and management. Kondomeriet, for example, will retain its nine physical stores in Norway in addition to its online store. CEO Merethe Sarris, with Kondomeriet for the past 30 years, will also remain in her position now that the company is part of the EQOM Group.

“We will continue our operations in Norway as before, with the desire to inspire the Norwegian people to a better and more playful sex life with good and pleasurable toys. Together with EQOM, we will develop new products and services within our industry that will benefit our customers. Being able to work so closely with a player that is already so important in the industry, allows Kondomeriet and the EQOM Group to grow together.”

Christine le Duc
Along the same lines, all five Christine le Duc stores will continue to exist and the Dutch company will keep combining its online presence with physical experiences in its stores and at events. CEO Audrey van Ham has 15 years of industry experience and expects that the merger with the EQOM Group will help her company to further flourish and expand. “The proven entrepreneurship and financial strength of the EQOM Group will enable us to keep growing.”

“The female perspective is also of added value,” she continues. “The sexual wellness market is growing rapidly, and so is the share of female customers. Therefore, the sexual wellness industry must start to think along with and from the perspective of the woman. In addition, as the oldest erotic brand in the Netherlands, we take a lot of knowledge with us, especially in the field of lingerie.”

www.eqom.com