Shift4 has announced its $2.5 billion acquisition of Global Blue, a leading payments and technology provider for luxury retail and hospitality. The deal, priced at $7.50 per share in cash, represents a 15% premium over Global Blue’s February 14 closing price.
Global Blue specializes in tax-free shopping, dynamic currency conversion, and payment services, supporting over 400,000 high-end retail and hospitality locations. The acquisition will also foster strategic collaborations with Ant International and Tencent, who will remain shareholders in Global Blue.
Taylor Lauber, President of Shift4, highlights the strategic importance of the deal: “This acquisition continues a bold tradition of introducing transformative capabilities to exceptional customers along with a massive embedded cross-sell opportunity. Integrating Global Blue into our unified payments platform positions Shift4 as a leading unified commerce payment provider around the world.”
The move follows a string of acquisitions by Shift4, which recently abandoned plans to sell itself after unsatisfactory offers from potential buyers. The company, which holds a $7 billion market valuation, sees the Global Blue acquisition as a key step in expanding its international presence and unlocking new revenue streams.