DeamNex: "Hunting Opportunities"
Posted by admin | Under Uncategorized, economy, life, people, publications Wednesday Feb 3, 2010Lefigaro.fr / Jdf.com: In just under ten years, DreamNex has become the European champion of the Internet charming. What were the secrets of your success?
Patrice Macar: First, DreamNex was the first company to spell Internet with a quality, positioned on the high end, which addresses the general adult audience, namely men, women, and couples. In addition, there is no doubt that the sector is in vogue. Sexuality is no longer taboo. It is even likely. Sexy lingerie and sex toys have democratized, as evidenced by the series Sex and the City or the corner Toys Chics at Galeries Lafayette. Even M6 Boutique spent a night broadcast on its new range of sex toys.
Besides selling products, we developed our site Sexyavenue.com entertainment activity, with a video service (VOD), which has seriously accelerated with the spread of broadband. Again, DreamNex has cornered the French market. And the branch meetings has also had some success with its service Eden Flirt "for naughty games and free in a supervised environment.
In acquiring the Belgian Enjoy DreamNex early 2008 that declared its leadership at European level through its service XCAM, a kind of phone sex on webcams, where thousands of independent filmmakers around the world offer discussions erotic home.Buying Enjoy, for just over 40 million euros has been possible thanks to the IPO of DreamNex on Euronext (Compartment C) in March 2007, which then helped raise 15 million euros.
In recent years you've been very aggressive in the market by finalizing purchase of several companies. And you do not stop here …
We have no reason to stop there! Not only is DreamNex leader, but he is always alone on the European market very fragmented. In addition, we have the necessary cash to make acquisitions of our choice. In fact, since the IPO, DreamNex still has as much cash as all previous acquisitions have allowed a return on investment as we have been able to pay shareholders, while bailing out our cases.
In 2009, however, we took a break after four acquisitions in 18 months to restructure the group and maximize the new resources. It has centralized teams, we recruited new managers … But in 2010, one starts to hunt for great opportunities. It focuses on three areas that we know well. For now, DreamNex is strong in France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. We look for companies already well established, why not in Germany. We have two issues being discussed, but nothing is certain yet.
In 2009, your sales totaled 67.3 million euros, down 4.2% on a pro forma basis. What are your goals for 2010?
DreamNex activity, partly due to the vagaries of the consumer has finally stood up well in 2009. Surely it is because people are a little more at home and at restaurant or cinema.It does, they need to entertain. But it is true that we have found that the average basket of purchases on our site is a little less than before Payday Advance . Customers buy on average four products now rather than five.
Anyway, last year was pivotal. It was time to reorganize. The effects are already felt. Even if I never give targets usually I can tell you that the operating profitability of the group will win at least 5 points between the first and second half of 2009, reaching over 25% on the second part of the year .
You've decided to start a business of gaming. Is it not make too much diversification?
We realized that poker players, casinos, paris sports, etc..online customers and the Internet are actually charming in a hearing fairly close. DreamNex has the ability to generate audience. We can then exploit it and add another string to our bow. We will not incur massive investment in this activity. We will call for a turnkey solution for platform games through companies specializing in the field. The challenge now is to comply with legal constraints and heavy comply with specific regulations in force in different European countries.
By launching your own brand, have you played the card of profitability or is it rather a fun little marketing?
Both. It was first launched lingerie SexyAvenue. Now half of our products are sold to our brand. Since June 2009, we sell sextoys SexyAvenue.Note that sextoys now represent half of our total sales. For our sextoys, we chose 15 products that sold best on our site, we went to China, and we asked the same to our sign. Ultimately, the price is a little cheaper and our products SexyAvenue reap a gross profit of at least 70%. Value today, the brand recorded 27% of sales. We aim 30 to 35% in the short term.
What, ten years ago, you had the idea and the courage to get started in this business?
In fact, my ambition was to be undertaken on the Internet. I felt the revolution. I told myself that I must be part of this incredible movement. I wondered what kind of business I was targeting. I quickly noticed the United States, the adult business was going well. Meanwhile, in Europe, there was almost nothing, apart from sites in Pigalle …So I chose this niche, but with a real professional approach.
You must have had a hard time build your credibility at the beginning …
It is true that banks and other partners looked at me wrong at first. It was ten years ago and attitudes were different. There are still some people who are uncomfortable with the activity of DreamNex, but overall it's much more relaxed than before. Especially now that DreamNex is listed on the stock market and managed to get a good picture, relations are much easier.
Interview by Marine Rabreau.
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