Business giants in the world have gained powerful positions in the business by various planned acquisitions from time to time. It is not only the parent company that is adding to their revenues and brand development but various sister sites acquired that are adding to their brand value and mammoth turnovers.
MICROSOFT Sister Sites Owned by Bill Gates
Microsoft started as a software company in a garage in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1975. Since then the brand has built itself to be so giant that today it is one of the world’s largest technology companies. Other than the software, Microsoft now deals in personal computing devices, cloud-computing infrastructure and services, artificial intelligence (AI), etc. They have been able to do so because of the string of small and large acquisitions they have done.
LinkedIn, their business-centric social media website was acquired by Microsoft in 2016 and today the website has become massive with 500 million active members in about 200 countries worldwide. LinkedIn generates commercial cloud revenue for Microsoft and provides it with a valuable social media platform and recruiting tool earning revenue through premium memberships.
Skype, the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications technology, allows the users to interact by audio through an Internet connection over an analog connection. Microsoft acquired Skype in 2011 and today has been integrating its capabilities with technologies like Xbox and Windows devices, and with online platforms like Outlook and Xbox Live.
GitHub, the open-source coding repository and development tool, was acquired in 2018 by Microsoft since then the company is focused on developing open source and accelerating developer use of the platform and provisioning of more tools and services to new audiences.
ZARA Sister Sites Owned by Amancio Ortega
ZARA is currently the most loved and popular fashion brands in the world with its fans ranging from kids, teenagers to men, women and elders. The brand has been acquiring sister brands under its umbrella to boost its business. Amancio Ortega had opened the first Zara store in northern Spain in 1975 and today the brand has an enormous, 2,000-store chain,in 96 countries around the world.
Bershka, the low cost brand of ZARA is mainly targeted at young men and women and it has more than 1k stores in 70 markets. It is the second-largest chain by store count in Inditex’s entire operation.
Massimo Dutti, a men’s fashion label originally, added a women and kids collection to its stores in 2003. It has 764 stores worldwide with prices on the higher side compared to ZARA but this brand specifically targets the customers who like classic and timeless style over trends.
Sister Sites Owned By STARBUCKS
Starbucks has expanded massively with over 30k coffeehouses spreading in 80 countries. Currently the company has a market capitalization of over $89.0 billion and has been acquiring niche businesses like tea- coffee chains, bakery chain, bottled water companies to grow their menu offerings at a starbucks cafe.
Teavana, the tea and accessories business was acquired by Starbucks at a price of $620 million on December 31, 2012. Starbucks has been selling Teavana loose-leaf teas and tea-related products in their physical stores as well as online.
La Boulange, the San Francisco based bakery chain acquired at $100 million9 on 4th June, 2012, Starbucks now sells La Boulange products in its own retail shops.
