Lagardère Group
French international group whose principal businesses are trade publishing and travel retail, supported by news, radio, live entertainment and sports-club activities.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Lagardère Group is a French international business group headquartered in Paris. Created in 1992 by Jean-Luc Lagardère through the combination of Matra and Hachette-related activities, it evolved from a diversified industrial and media conglomerate into a group centered on publishing and travel retail. Its principal publishing business, Lagardère Publishing, operates mainly through Hachette Livre and serves general literature, education, illustrated books, dictionaries, children's publishing, partworks, digital publishing and book distribution. The division has expanded beyond conventional books through acquisitions in games, educational products and premium stationery. Its second core division, Lagardère Travel Retail, operates stores and food-service concepts in airports, railway stations and other transport locations. Its activities cover travel essentials, duty-free and fashion, and foodservice. Brands and businesses associated with the division include Relay, Aelia, Paradies Lagardère and other locally operated retail and catering concepts. The group has built its travel-retail presence through acquisitions and concessions across Europe, North America and other international markets. Lagardère also retains a collection of media and entertainment activities. Lagardère News publishes Le Journal du Dimanche, Le JDNews and Le JDMag and manages the international licensing of the Elle brand. Lagardère Radio operates Europe 1, Europe 2 and RFM. Lagardère Live Entertainment produces concerts and shows and manages venues including the Folies Bergère, Casino de Paris and Arkéa Arena. Lagardère Paris Racing operates a sports club in Paris. The group’s history includes an earlier industrial and aerospace heritage through Matra, as well as major media expansion during the 1990s and 2000s. It progressively sold or separated many non-core assets, including most magazine, television and sports-agency operations, while strengthening Hachette publishing and travel retail. Vivendi acquired a 60% stake in Lagardère in November 2023. In 2024, Vivendi transferred its Lagardère holding to Louis Hachette Group in connection with the reorganization and listing of that entity. Lagardère therefore operates within a wider Vivendi-controlled corporate structure while maintaining its own publishing, travel-retail and selected media brands.
History
The historical roots of Lagardère Group extend through Hachette and Matra. Hachette began in nineteenth-century Parisian bookselling and publishing, while Matra was established in 1945 as a technology and engineering company involved in aviation, aerospace and other advanced industrial projects. Jean-Luc Lagardère became chief executive of Matra in 1963 and later assumed leadership of Hachette in 1981. Under his direction, the businesses expanded internationally and into media. Hachette’s acquisition of Grolier Encyclopedias in 1988 was an early major overseas move. In 1992, following restructuring, Matra, Hachette and Lagardère-related activities were brought together under the Lagardère Group identity. During this period the group explored television, multimedia, telecommunications and other media businesses. Its involvement with the financially troubled French television network La Cinq ended when the channel ceased broadcasting in April 1992. Hachette subsequently pursued digital and educational publishing, including the Axis multimedia encyclopedia and the creation of Hachette Multimedia through the combination of publishing and interactive-education activities. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the group broadened its publishing and retail footprint. Hachette acquired Hatier, expanded in international press distribution and launched Relay as a recognizable retail format for media products in transport hubs. The group also acquired Virgin Stores in France and developed interests in magazines, radio, television and digital services. After Jean-Luc Lagardère’s death in 2003, Arnaud Lagardère became General Partner and led a gradual refocusing of the organization. The group sold its Renault interest and automotive-engineering operations, while continuing to build publishing, broadcasting and entertainment activities. Lagardère acquired Editis in 2004 but retained only part of the business after competition review, keeping publishing houses such as Larousse, Dalloz, Dunod, Nathan and Armand Colin while selling the remaining interest. It also launched the youth television channel Gulli with France Télévisions and created or expanded sports and entertainment operations. Lagardère Sports was established in 2006 and was later reorganized as Lagardère Unlimited and then Lagardère Sports and Entertainment. A major portfolio transition began in the 2010s. In 2011, Lagardère agreed to sell its international magazine business to Hearst while retaining French magazine operations and worldwide ownership of the Elle trademark, which was licensed in the relevant markets. The group sold its endurance-sports events business in 2016 and later disposed of most of its French magazine, television and related media assets. Lagardère Studios was sold to Mediawan in 2020, and the remaining stake in Lagardère Sports was sold to H.I.G. Capital in 2021. These transactions reduced the group’s exposure to non-core media and sports-agency businesses. At the same time, Lagardère Publishing and Lagardère Travel Retail became the central pillars of the group. Publishing acquisitions included Perseus Books, Bookouture, Laurence King Publishing, Workman Publishing and Welbeck Publishing, together with game publishers and premium stationery businesses. Travel retail expanded through Paradies in North America, Hojeij Branded Foods, International Duty Free, Marché International and Tastes on the Fly. In 2021, Lagardère changed from its former French limited-partnership structure to a joint-stock company with a board of directors, with Arnaud Lagardère becoming chairman and chief executive officer. Vivendi completed the acquisition of a 60% stake in November 2023. During Vivendi’s later corporate reorganization, its Lagardère shares were transferred to Louis Hachette Group before that company’s listing in 2024. Lagardère continues to operate as an international group focused principally on books, publishing services, travel retail, selected broadcasting and news brands, and live entertainment.
- 2024
Lagardère shares transferred to Louis Hachette Group
[5]Vivendi transferred its Lagardère interest to Louis Hachette Group during a wider corporate reorganization.
- 2023
Vivendi acquires majority control
[5]Vivendi completed the acquisition of a 60% stake in Lagardère.
- 2021
Corporate structure converted
[3]Lagardère became a joint-stock company with a board of directors, and Arnaud Lagardère became chairman and chief executive officer.
- 2020
Lagardère Sports majority stake sold
[1]Lagardère sold 75% of Lagardère Sports, excluding Lagardère Live Entertainment, to H.I.G. Capital.
- 2015
Lagardère Services becomes Lagardère Travel Retail
[7]The travel-retail business adopted the Lagardère Travel Retail name, aligning its international retail and foodservice operations under a common identity.
- 2011
International magazine business sold to Hearst
[1]Lagardère agreed to transfer its international magazine operations while retaining French magazine activities and global ownership of the Elle trademark.
- 2004
Editis acquisition and partial divestment
[1]Lagardère acquired Editis and retained a portfolio of publishing imprints after competition review, selling the remaining interest.
- 2000
Relay is developed internationally
[1]Hachette Distribution Services created Relay as an international travel-location retail brand for media and convenience products.
- 1992
Lagardère Group is created
[1]Matra, Hachette and related activities were reorganized under the Lagardère Group identity.
- 1945
Matra is established
[1]Matra was created as an engineering and technology company and later developed aerospace and industrial activities.
Products and positioning
An international content, publishing and travel-retail group combining global scale with locally operated brands and concessions.
Publishing
Lagardère Publishing
Lagardère Publishing is the group’s principal book and content division, operating largely through Hachette Livre. It covers general literature, education, illustrated books, dictionaries, children's books, partworks, digital publishing and distribution. Its publishing houses operate especially in French-, English- and Spanish-language markets. The division has broadened into adjacent leisure categories through board-game publishers and premium stationery brands.
Trade and educational publishing
Hachette Livre
Hachette Livre is the principal publishing imprint and operating platform within Lagardère Publishing. It brings together publishing houses serving fiction, nonfiction, education, reference, illustrated works and youth readers, with a network spanning several language markets and national publishing businesses.
Travel retail and foodservice · 2015
Lagardère Travel Retail
Lagardère Travel Retail operates stores and foodservice locations in airports, railway stations and other transport environments. Its categories include travel essentials, duty-free and fashion, and foodservice. The division combines global operating expertise with concessions, franchises and local brands, including Relay, Aelia and Paradies Lagardère.
Travel retail · 2000
Relay
Relay is a travel-location retail brand offering newspapers, magazines, books, snacks, beverages and convenience products. It is associated primarily with airports, railway stations and other high-footfall transport sites.
News publishing and licensing
Lagardère News
Lagardère News comprises news and magazine-related activities including Le Journal du Dimanche, Le JDNews and Le JDMag, together with licensing activity connected with the Elle brand.
Radio broadcasting
Lagardère Radio
Lagardère Radio operates French radio brands including Europe 1, Europe 2 and RFM, covering news, talk, entertainment and music programming.
Live entertainment
Lagardère Live Entertainment
Lagardère Live Entertainment produces concerts and shows, manages venues and provides hosting and promotional services for French and international productions. Associated venues include the Folies Bergère, Casino de Paris and Arkéa Arena.
Controversies
2022
Alleged editorial censorship in Octopus books
A Financial Times report said that Octopus Books, part of Lagardère Publishing, removed or modified references to Taiwan in books printed in China. The report prompted criticism concerning commercial dependence on Chinese printing and the boundaries of editorial control.
Brand decisions
2023
Vivendi takes majority controlM&ABackground
Vivendi increased its involvement in Lagardère after several years of shareholder and governance pressure.
Action taken
Vivendi completed the purchase of a 60% stake in Lagardère.
Aftermath
Lagardère became part of a larger Vivendi-controlled structure, with its publishing and travel-retail divisions remaining central to the business.
2021
Conversion to a joint-stock companyStrategyBackground
Lagardère’s former limited-partnership structure had been contested during a prolonged shareholder dispute.
Action taken
The company converted into a joint-stock company with a board of directors and appointed Arnaud Lagardère as chairman and chief executive officer.
Aftermath
The change established a conventional board-governed structure before Vivendi’s acquisition of majority control.
2020
Sports-agency divestmentM&ABackground
Lagardère continued to dispose of activities outside its core publishing and travel-retail businesses.
Action taken
The group sold 75% of Lagardère Sports, excluding Lagardère Live Entertainment, to H.I.G. Capital.
Aftermath
The remaining 25% was sold in 2021, completing the divestment of Lagardère Sports.
2015
Travel retail division rebrandedStrategyBackground
The group sought to present its international airport, station and convenience-retail operations as one global business.
Action taken
Lagardère Services was renamed Lagardère Travel Retail.
Aftermath
The new identity became the platform for subsequent expansion in duty-free, travel essentials and travel foodservice.
2011
Sale of international magazine operations to HearstM&ABackground
Lagardère decided to reduce its exposure to international magazine publishing as it refocused its portfolio.
Action taken
The group agreed to sell 102 international magazine titles to Hearst while retaining French magazine operations and worldwide ownership of the Elle trademark, which was licensed in affected markets.
Aftermath
The transaction accelerated Lagardère’s move away from international magazine publishing and toward publishing, travel retail and selected French media assets.
Reported transaction value. €651 million (2011 announced transaction)
Recent events
Vivendi acquires Amber Capital’s Lagardère shares[8]
Reported:
Vivendi acquired 24,685,108 Lagardère shares from Amber Capital at €24.10 per share. Vivendi then owned 45.1% of Lagardère’s share capital.
Ferrero and Lagardère enter exclusive travel-retail pre-launch partnership[9]
Reported:
Ferrero entered an exclusive partnership with Lagardère to pre-launch the Ferrero Rocher tablet range at Lagardère retail outlets from September 2021.
Vivendi announces acquisition of 10.6% of Lagardère[10]
Reported:
Vivendi announced that it had acquired a 10.6% stake in Lagardère as a long-term financial investment.
Sources10 sources
- 1Lagardère Groupen.wikipedia.org
- 2Lagardère Group corporate websitelagardere.com
- 3Lagardère governancelagardere.com
- 4Lagardère Travel Retaillagardere-tr.com
- 5Vivendi press releasesvivendi.com
- 6Financial Timesft.com
- 7Lagardère Services becomes Lagardère Travel Retaillagardere-tr.com
- 8维旺迪收购安柏资本持有的拉加代尔股份trbusiness.com
- 9Ferrero与Lagardère达成旅游零售独家预发布合作trbusiness.com
- 10Vivendi宣布收购Lagardère 10.6%股权finanznachrichten.de
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