Düsseldorf (DE) / Hengelo | METRO AG has acquired 100% of the shares of Eijsink, based in Hengelo. The purchase creates one of the largest companies in Europe in POS systems and digitalisation for the hospitality industry. Eijsink will be integrated into METRO's tech company Hospitality Digital (HD). The partnership will enable Eijsink to accelerate its internationalisation with the (in-house) developed software platform booq and remain at the forefront of innovative software developments in the Netherlands.

HD is METRO's digitalisation company and helps hospitality entrepreneurs with their digital transformation. With order websites, online reservation modules, menu engineering solutions, websites and business intelligence tooling, HD serves a large part of the hospitality market in many European countries. The merger of these two market leaders creates a powerful technology and distribution organisation that offers cutting-edge digitalisation solutions across numerous industries. booq will now be rolled out to around two European countries per year, leveraging METRO's access to 1.6 million hospitality customers.

"As part of its sCore strategy and its multichannel business model, METRO is driving the digitisation of its customers' core processes to become a comprehensive supplier. The acquisition of Eijsink is bearing fruit in this strategy. With booq, we can offer our customers a comprehensive range of digital tools. With its broad national presence, access to the hospitality market and 6,750 account managers, METRO is a strong partner for Eijsink to accelerate the international roll-out of booq. METRO will benefit from the planned integration of processes with HD's existing products in booq," explains Dr Steffen Greubel, CEO of METRO AG.

booq is Eijsink's omnichannel software platform that helps hospitality entrepreneurs set up processes more efficiently to achieve greater profitability. The platform optimises processes around guest stays in hospitality businesses, while keeping the guest experience as high as ever. As part of the platform, entrepreneurs can purchase various booq Bricks to operate successfully; from modern cash registers to staff planning and from QR ordering to digital kitchen screens.

Ferenc Birkenhäger, CEO of Eijsink: “With around 200 employees at 6 locations and an expected annual turnover of more than €25 million in 2022, Eijsink has grown into a well-known player for POS systems in the Benelux market since its foundation in 1984. We are excited to partner with METRO and Hospitality Digital. It gives us new opportunities to expand our business and to further innovate the European hospitality sector."

Eijsink will continue to be active in the Dutch market. METRO has given a strong commitment to the employees of Eijsink as well as its current locations. The current owners of Eijsink will continue to support the rollout of booq and its integration in HD’s digital tools in leading management functions. Both parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

About METRO and Hospitality Digital

METRO is a leading international wholesale company with food and non-food assortments, which specialises in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants, and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent traders (Traders). Around the world, METRO has some 17 million customers who benefit from the wholesale company’s unique multichannel mix. This allows customers to choose between shopping at one of the large-scale local stores or delivery (Food Service Distribution, FSD) – all digitally supported and connected. At the same time, METRO MARKETS is an international online marketplace for professional customers that has been growing and expanding continuously since 2019. ‘Acting sustainably’ is one of METRO’s corporate principles. METRO has been listed in various sustainability indices and rankings for many years, including FTSE4Good, MSCI, CDP and Dow Jones Sustainability Index, which confirms that METRO is very engaged in the areas of climate protection, avoidance of plastic and food waste as well as procurement of more sustainable product assortments. METRO operates in more than 30 countries and employs over 95,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2020/21, METRO generated sales of €24.8 billion. For more information, please visit www.metroag.de or www.mpulse.de, our online magazine.

Hospitality Digital (HD) was established in 2015 as a wholly owned subsidiary of METRO AG to develop digital solutions that contribute to the success of HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and caterers). The easy-to-use tools are designed for the demanding day-to-day of gastronomy business owners to save time and money. Under the DISH brand, HD provides competitive solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of the industry: online food ordering without any additional commission fee, ability to take reservations 24/7, menu profitability calculation, online presence management in internet and across 20+ social media networks among others. More than 200.000 restaurateurs across 16 countries already use digital solutions of Hospitality Digital to improve their business performance.

About Eijsink and booq
Eijsink is market leader in the Netherlands with digitalisation solutions for the hospitality and leisure industry. With 200 employees at 6 locations, and an expected annual turnover of more than €25 million in 2022, Eijsink has grown into a well-known player in the Benelux market since its foundation in 1984. Market knowledge, personal attention and meaningful solutions have distinguished Eijsink for over 35 years. The market knowledge, combined with the personal approach and 24/7 service is unique in the Dutch market plus the trusted and successful concept of Eijsink for years.

Under the booq brand, Eijsink helps entrepreneurs run their businesses more successfully. booq is the omnichannel software platform that helps entrepreneurs to organize processes more efficiently to achieve greater returns. The platform optimizes processes around the stay of guests in hospitality establishments, while the guest-experience remains as high as possible. As part of the platform, entrepreneurs can purchase various booq Bricks to operate successfully, from POS systems to staff planning and from QR ordering to digital kitchen screens. Based on device agnostic, ultimate flexibility, competitive pricing, and cloud-based technology, booq gained already a leading position in the Benelux market.