Transa has been the leading provider of travel and outdoor products in Switzerland for almost 40 years. Over 33,740 products are available and over 270 employees work in the branches in Basel, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Winterthur, the Transa flagship store next to Zurich main station and the climbing store in the 6a plus climbing hall. Transa also operates an online store.

Zaugg gets on board

This Transa Backpacking AG now has a new majority shareholder in Beat Zaugg.

The founding generation has been looking for a sustainable solution for the continuation of Transa in terms of a succession plan since summer 2014 and has announced that it has found a private majority shareholder with a long-term interest in Zaugg. Zaugg handled the purchase of the shares via his newly founded International Retail Corporation SA. The partnership with Zaugg, co-shareholder and CEO of Scott, was realized by Transa's Board of Directors with the active support of Transa's management. Globetrotter Switzerland remains the second largest shareholder. The parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the sale.

Company founder Beat Stünzi remains a co-shareholder and is initiating the "Amis de Transa" association for former Transa shareholders. At Zaugg's request, Stünzi will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors. André Lüthi from Globetrotter Switzerland will also continue to sit on the Board of Directors, which expresses continuity in terms of strategy, structure and culture. Transa's operational activities will continue to be managed by Daniel Humbel as CEO and the current Executive Board.

Memories of retail in the 80s

Zaugg is an entrepreneur for the fun of it, for him the fun of retail, or as he says "doing cool stuff", is paramount, Transa reports. Zaugg fondly remembers his retail days in the 1980s at Kitchener Bern, the benchmark for Transa at the time. The CEO of Scott believes in the long-term success story and the Transa concept. The Scott shareholder wants to be involved at a strategic level without having any influence on day-to-day operations. This also applies to the product range design and the examination of opportunities in the cooperation with Scott, which he leaves to Transa.

As part of the change, the Board of Directors of Transa has decided to sell Outdoor Trading AG to the company's sales manager, Jürg Lüthi, and private investors from his personal circle as of August 20, 2015. The independence enables Outdoor Trading AG to face the pressure in the outdoor market with greater agility and a competitive structure. The sale to Jürg Lüthi ensures a Swiss solution and continuity for the Jack Wolfskin Stores Switzerland.

www.transa.ch