The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's competition authority, has granted approval for Topp Holding AG, based in Hamburg, to acquire a minority stake in Heinrich Hugendubel Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, located in Munich. Topp Holding is the parent company of the book wholesaler Libri GmbH.

This acquisition will lead to joint control over Hugendubel alongside existing shareholders. Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, stated that Libri is the leading provider in the 'Barsortiment' sector, which allows bookstores to receive overnight deliveries. The merger was thoroughly examined, but it was concluded that the involvement in Hugendubel would not significantly harm competition in the book wholesale market.

Despite the merger, bookstores will still have access to alternative suppliers. Additionally, strong competitors like Amazon and Thalia are expected to exert considerable competitive pressure in the market.

Libri operates as a book wholesaler, supplying bookstores across Germany with books and other media products from its location in Bad Hersfeld. Hugendubel, on the other hand, is a family-owned bookstore chain that sells books, media, and complementary products through approximately 100 stores in Germany and an online shop.