Apax Partners & LBO France take majority stake in Maisons du Monde

Apax Partners and LBO France have formed a 50-50 consortium to acquire Maisons du Monde through a secondary leveraged buyout (LBO), following a competitive sale process. The transaction allows the two funds to take control of approximately 70% of the French home furnishings and decoration specialist's equity, succeeding the previous investor duo of Barclays Private Equity and Ixen, which had supported the company's initial growth phase. Under this new shareholder structure, the management team, led by founder Xavier Marie, retains around 20% of the equity, while a minority shareholder with historical ties to Natixis Private Equity remains on board with a stake of less than 10%. This setup aims to maintain strong alignment between the management team and investors, ensuring strategic continuity after a period of rapid growth. The acquisition is financed through a multi-tranche debt structure combining senior debt, revolving credit, mezzanine debt, and subordinated instruments, allowing for optimized leverage while securing the financial flexibility necessary to drive further growth. This financial architecture is typical of a secondary LBO transaction involving a proven asset with potential for continued organic growth and product range expansion. In this context, the new shareholder base is committed to supporting the continued expansion of the store network (already grown from 132 to 170 locations since its first buyout), product offer enhancement, and consolidation of Maisons du Monde's position in the European home furnishings and decoration market, driven by the growing lifestyle segment and omnichannel sales.

In the past, Maisons du Monde was acquired by Barclays Private Equity / Natexis Industrie in 2005 as part of its expansion strategy.