The Bundeskartellamt, Germany's competition authority, has granted clearance for the Thalia Group to acquire essential parts of the Stein Media Group. The Stein Media Group, a major player in the German specialized information trade, filed for insolvency in September.

Thalia's subsidiary, Lehmanns Media GmbH, based in Cologne, is set to acquire assets from Stein Media Group GmbH, located in Werl. Additionally, Thalia Bücher GmbH from Hagen will take over the A. Stein'sche Bookstore in Werl.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, stated that Thalia is the leading bookstore chain in Germany. However, the acquisition primarily affects a specific segment of the book trade, namely specialized information trade, where there are still strong competitors in Germany. Furthermore, direct sales by publishers play a significant role in this market. As a result, the authority had no competitive concerns regarding the acquisition.

Thalia Group is the largest stationary bookstore chain in the German-speaking region, with approximately 570 locations in the DACH area and operates its own online shop. Through its subsidiary Lehmanns Media, Thalia is also active in the specialized information trade.