The French Competition Authority has given the green light to the acquisition of Bimedia by DL Software. Following its examination, the authority considers that the operation is not likely to harm competition on the market for the supply of global checkout solutions for tobacconists or on the market for intermediation for the sale of dematerialized services.
Global checkout solutions combine both hardware and software equipment intended for merchants for collection, stock management, entry of supply orders and, sometimes, the marketing of third-party products and services (known as dematerialized services). .
The company Bimedia, coveted for a time by the Française des jeux, specializes in digital collection solutions and dematerialized services offered to local businesses, in sectors such as payment, money transfer or even advertising management. Bimedia’s solutions are present in more than 6,000 points of sale in France, mainly with tobacconists and press distributors.
Quasi-duopoly
DL Software, owned by the American company TA Associates, brings together several companies that publish integrated management software packages, targeting a variety of sectors in France.
With this acquisition, the buyer completes its retail division, notably made up of the Devlyx subsidiary, which also specializes in the sector of global checkout solutions for local shops.
When announcing the entry into exclusive negotiations for the acquisition of Bimedia in October 2021, the DL Software group specified that Bimedia and Devlyx would each retain “their autonomy”, with a “complementary” positioning of offers and models. distribution (direct for the first, via its network of partners for the second). Guillaume Dewaël should also retain the management of Bimedia and join the management committee of the DL Software group.
In its decision posted online on April 25, 2022, the authority notes that the operation will lead to a situation of “quasi-duopoly” against competitor Logista. However, the Autorité observes that the new entity resulting from the takeover would “not be encouraged to increase the price of global checkout solutions” or “to increase its margins as an intermediary for the sale of dematerialized services”.