Acquisitions at BITS, HIS, ETOS and EBG-Data: What the consolidation means for shoe retailers

In short: several well-known ERP systems for German shoe retail belong to two corporate groups in 2026. BITS, HIS and ETOS (APOLLON) are part of the Brandt Retail group. IPOS (maker EBG-Data) and prohandel both belong to the orbit of Total Specific Solutions. This article puts into context what has happened according to trade press and provider information and what you as an existing customer can concretely do now.

What happened? An overview of the acquisitions

Brandt Retail Group: BITS, HIS, and since January 2026 also ETOS

Brandt Software-Produkte GmbH from Aschaffenburg, maker of the BITS ERP system, has by its own account acquired further systems over several years: in 2016 the Austrian systems WWS2000 and CV-Schuh, and as of January 2017 Ariston Informatik GmbH with the HIS system. As of January 1, 2026, according to the trade press (schuhkurier), ETOS (maker of the shoe retail ERP APOLLON) and Seithe & Partner also became part of the Brandt Retail group.

This means a single group bundles the systems APOLLON, BITS, CV-Schuh, HIS and WWS-2000 and, by its own account, serves well over 1,000 retail companies in the German-speaking region. The group describes itself as the leading provider of ERP systems in the fashion shoe and sports retail sector (provider's own statement).

EBG-Data (IPOS): Sold to Total Specific Solutions in June 2026

EBG-Data GmbH from Neuss has, according to provider information, developed the IPOS ERP since 1988 and, according to the trade press, belonged to the ANWR Group since 2010. In June 2026 the ANWR Group sold EBG-Data to Total Specific Solutions (TSS). According to the trade press, the contract was signed on June 3, 2026, effective retroactively as of June 1, 2026.

By its own account, TSS is an international software group with over 180 independently run specialist software companies in Europe. It belongs to Topicus.com, which according to the trade press was spun off in 2021 from the orbit of the Canadian Constellation Software. According to provider information, prohandel GmbH from Bielefeld, likewise a provider of an ERP for fashion and shoe retail, has also belonged to TSS since 2017.

What does a software acquisition mean for existing customers?

Important to note upfront: the following points reflect general observations drawn from software acquisitions across many industries. They are not statements about the specific companies mentioned here. Nobody can know in advance whether and how a particular acquisition will affect things. In many cases, customers actually benefit from increased development capacity.

Based on general industry experience, these are the topics worth paying attention to after an acquisition:

• Roadmap priorities: When several similar products come under one roof, development resources have to be distributed. The timing of which features arrive can shift.
• Product strategy: Some groups merge product lines in the long run; others operate them permanently in parallel. Both approaches are common, and both have implications for updates and migrations.
• Pricing and contract models: New owners typically review terms and contract structures at some point. This may, but does not necessarily, lead to changes.
• Contacts and support: Teams and responsibilities can be reorganized after an acquisition. Long-standing personal contacts are not automatically guaranteed.
• Integrations and partner network: Third-party integrations and partnerships are often reassessed following acquisitions.

Checklist: 7 questions you should ask your vendor right now

No need to rush, but stay informed. Ask your vendor these questions directly, preferably in writing:

What are your options?

Option 1: Stay with your current vendor

For many retailers the obvious choice. If your system is running, the answers to the checklist questions are convincing and the terms stay stable, there is no reason for haste. It is still sensible to record the answers in writing and review them annually.

Option 2: Evaluate alternatives now, before time pressure builds

Switching systems in shoe retail is a project, not a button press: size matrices, widths, seasonal goods, ECC integration and POS data all need to transfer cleanly. The best time for a market review is therefore not when you have to switch, but when you do not yet have to. Get demos, compare pricing models, and check whether a new system can be tested in parallel with your existing one.

When comparing, focus on four points: industry depth (sizes, widths, seasonal goods), architecture (cloud or local installation), pricing transparency (public prices or only on request), and contract commitment (cancel monthly or multi-year term).

How DezemberHub is set up as an alternative, you can read on our pages about BITS, HIS, ETOS APOLLON, IPOS, prohandel and JTL-Wawi. How our packages are priced is publicly available on the pricing overview.

Our take

Conclusion

The consolidation in the market for shoe retail software is real: BITS, HIS and ETOS now belong to the Brandt Retail group, IPOS and prohandel both belong to the TSS orbit. This is neither good nor bad at first. What matters is that you know the situation, ask your provider the right questions and check your options before time pressure arises.