In a surprise move, two German bookstores — Thalia, the market leader, and Mayersche, a large regional chain — announced plans to merge, a deal that will first need to be approved by Germany’s Federal Cartel Office. While terms of the deal remain undisclosed, the Falter family, which owns Mayersche, will become partners in the consortium that owns Thalia, which includes the Herder and Kreke families, Leif Göritz, and Thalia ceo Michael Busch. Mayersche’s ceo, Helmut Falter, will join the consortium as a managing partner and member of the board, tasked with the integration of the two companies and future corporate […]