LPA-CGR avocats advised Altavia Group on the purchase of Sina Retail agency

LPA Hong Kong and LPA Shanghai advised Altavia Group on the purchase of Sina Retail agency

LPA Hong Kong and LPA Shanghai advised Altavia Group, a leading independent and international marketing communication group in the retail sector, on the acquisition of the Asian agency Sina Retail, a well-established retail design and project management agency with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Sanya.

Founded in 1983 in France by Raphaël Palti, Altavia (www.altavia-group.com) is specialized in commercial communication and brand activation which offers marketing, strategic consulting, design and project/campaign management and implementation services in over 45 countries within Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and North America.

Sina Retail is a retail design and project management group that offers a complete range of services for the retail industry, spanning from strategic consulting to concept creation and implementation, store branding, digital solutions integration and interior architecture. The agency provides ephemeral marketing concepts as well as permanent implementations for luxury brands such as Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy, Benefit, Shiseido, Nars, Augustinus Bader or Rémy Cointreau.

Through this acquisition, Altavia is expanding its portfolio in the luxury, beauty and wine and spirits sectors and strengthening its operations in the strategic and booming travel retail industry sector in Asia.

Xavier Van Gaver, Sina Retail’s founder, commented: “We are very pleased to join Altavia, a leading international group with whom we share the same passion for retail. Our international presence will be strengthened through the Group’s global network, and Altavia’s leadership in retail consulting and services will also allow us to offer a more complete solution to our clients’ needs in China and Asia.”

Hugo Vanderschaegh, Managing Director of Altavia Travel Retail, added: “In a few years, Sina Retail has gained a solid experience in Asia and has become a trusted partner of some of the most demanding and renowned brands. Working with Xavier and his team, Altavia Travel Retail will continue to roll out its services in the region: digital services to brands, strategic retail consultancy to airport authorities and large-scale shop design for duty-free and F&B operators.”

According to Raphaël Palti, CEO and Founder of Altavia: “With Sina Retail, we share the same desire to enrich the customer journey with engaging and compelling experiences for retailers and brands. This acquisition allows us to extend our expertise in the luxury segment and to strengthen our strategic global travel retail offering in China, and more broadly in Asia.”

LPA Hong Kong and LPA Shanghai have assisted Altavia on all legal and tax aspects of this transaction. The Hong Kong team in association with Toullec Solicitors was led by Nicolas Vanderchmitt (Partner), assisted by Erik Leyssens (Of Counsel), Marie-Gabrielle du Bourblanc (Counsel) and Camilla Venanzi (Associate). Fanny Nguyen (Partner) and Yun Zhang (Associate) of the Shanghai office advised on the PRC legal aspects of the deal.