HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. – Adam & Eve announced yesterday an international expansion of the company with the acquisition of the Excite Group PTY of Melbourne, Australia.
The Excite Group, which has been in business for 16 years, focuses on the Australian and New Zealand markets, operating several sites which will complement those already operated by Adam & Eve, the company said. Some of those sites include Wild Secrets, Fantasy Lingerie, Linspree, Fantasy Footwear, Costume Warehouse and FGMO.
Adam & Eve New Business Manager Bob Christian will be acting as Managing Director in this transition, the company said.
“Adam & Eve has been looking for the best way to become truly international as a company, in order to position the company for significant growth,” Christian said. “Wild Secrets and the Excite Group are Australia’s leader in e-commerce lingerie and adult oriented products. They are well established, successful, growing, and enjoy a well-respected reputation for customer service much like Adam & Eve.”
Christian added that the two companies are “extremely similar in many regards and working together seemed like a perfect match.”
“Both companies and their people are very excited about the prospects and opportunities for the future,” Christian said.
Phil Harvey, Founder of Adam & Eve, said he’s excited about the new acquisition, as well.
“With the addition of a major erotic products company on the other side of the world, Adam & Eve has become truly international,” Harvey said. “We soon expect to be selling a growing number of toys and accoutrements for better sex on all continents – except perhaps Antarctica.”
Excite Founder and former President Gerrard Giummarra will be staying on for several months to assist Adam & Eve in the transition, the company said.
“Bringing together the largest online sex toy retailers in the USA and in Australia was an opportunity that simply could not be passed up,” Giummarra said. “And it all happened on Valentine’s Day – what a romantic way to start a perfect match.”
According to the release announcing the acquisition, talks between Giummarra and Adam & Eve began almost two years ago. With the completion of the deal, the combined entity is now “the largest online sex toy retailer in the world,” Adam & Eve said.
Over the two years of discussions with Adam & Eve over acquisition of Wild Secrets and the Excite Group, “it become apparent that all parties shared the same philosophies and business acumen which spelled out that this was the right match,” the company said in its announcement.
