Birkenstock Holding has signed a definitive agreement to acquire its long-standing distributor, Birkenstock Australia Pty Ltd.
According to the group company, this acquisition seeks to ensure a seamless succession for the two founders of Birkenstock Australia—Marcel and Manuela Goerke.
The local distributor arm was founded in the early 1990s and has since grown to a 60-staffed operation, accruing an annual revenue of $88.6 million in FY25.
Birkenstock Australia is headquartered in Melbourne, with the company operating two owned stores in Melbourne, a monobrand partner store in Sydney and an online shop. It also manages a stockist network of over 300 B2B partners.
As part of the acquisition, Birkenstock Holdings aims to continue all current contracts, assets and employees. The process will be carried out via Birkenstock International Asia GmbH – a 100%-owned subsidiary of Birkenstock.
Marcel Goerke will support the transition as managing director of the Australian arm. He will report to Klaus Baumann, the chief sales officer of the Birkenstock Group. The transaction is expected to close by the end of October 2025.
Birkenstock Group did not share the value of the transaction.
Group CEO Oliver Reichert, who is also a member of the board of directors of the company, said Birkenstock Australia is one of the countries with the highest Birkenstock per capita sales worldwide.
“The example of Birkenstock Australia shows what people can achieve when love, dedication, and hard work come together with a product that has a genuine purpose,” Reichert said. “Marcel Goerke, who followed in his father’s footsteps – himself a passionate Birkenstock retailer – along with his wife Manuela Goerke and the people who rallied around them and embraced our footbed mission, did an amazing job.
“The business that has been built over many years is very healthy, and there are still plenty of opportunities. The ownership transition will allow us to unleash the considerable growth potential that our brand has in this market and to serve our huge fan base in Australia.”
Marcel Goerke added that the transaction has the potential to bolster further local scaling.
“This is good news for Birkenstock Australia, as additional resources will be used to further nurture the growing network of independent Birkenstock retailers and Birkenstock stores.
“It’s also great news for all those here who work day in, day out to ensure that all Birkenstock fans in Australia have an extraordinary brand experience, allowing them to walk as nature intended.”
Gloablly, Birkenstock has over 80 owned stores. Alongside channels across wholesale and online, the brand sells its products in over 100 countries.