Tamedia gains access to two million users

The data from the classifieds platform Olx.ch, which belongs to Ricardo, can be used in a variety of ways: For example, it could be evaluated what is searched for, when and how. This information could be further used in the placement of advertising or product innovation, Lang, a business consultant in the field of e-commerce, told the news agency SDA. With Ricardo's auction platform, money could be earned through fees for transactions, and with the online shopping portal Ricardoshops.ch, which was only launched in September, profit could be made from trading margins. In addition, the takeover would allow synergies to be exploited within Tamedia, for example with the media company's other digital platforms.

"Digital platforms save print media business"

Lang therefore considers the price of 240 million Swiss francs for Ricardo to be realistic. In the run-up, however, there had also been speculation about a much higher purchase price. "For Tamedia, the purchase is also a strengthening of its own market position, which also plays into the price," said Lang. For example, Tamedia is creating another counterweight to competitor Ringier with Ricardo's sales platforms. The media houses Tamedia and Ringier are currently the two top dogs in the digital platform business. Ringier owns Autoscout24, Immoscout24 and Anibis, for example. Tamedia owns Homegate, Search.ch and Tutti.ch, for example. "These digital platforms are saving the print media business," Lang said. The entire classifieds market has shifted from print to digital in recent years, he said.

Analysts also assessed the purchase positively. Ricardo is profitable and Tamedia can use it to expand its online portfolio, wrote Zürcher Kantonalbank. The shares of the publishing house increased in value by 7.7 percent by the close of the stock exchange and were quoted at their highest level since June 2011. (SDA)

Tamedia buys Ricardo Group