Hoepli

What Hoepli does

Hoepli S.p.A. is a privately held Italian publishing house and bookstore founded in 1870 by Ulrico Hoepli in Milan. The company operates an integrated omnichannel model combining a flagship five-floor, 2,000+ square meter physical bookstore at Via U. Hoepli 5 in central Milan — staffed by over 40 expert booksellers and stocking 100,000+ titles — with the hoepli.it e-commerce platform, which lists over 500,000 books available 24/7 alongside 693 e-book titles. The publishing arm, Hoepli Editore, holds a catalog of 5,494+ proprietary titles concentrated in scientific, technical, legal, economic, and educational content, distributed through specialized sub-brand sites including Hoepli Scuola (school textbooks), Hoepli Test (exam preparation), Grandi Dizionari (online dictionaries), and the Hoeplini children's imprint, plus a B2B services portal.

The business model is primarily transactional retail with unit pricing on physical and digital books, supplemented by recurring periodical subscription services and bibliographic research offerings. Customer segments are horizontal — general consumers and students (primary), educational institutions, and professionals/businesses — served through both direct-to-consumer channels (physical store and hoepli.it) and B2B sales (Hoepli Editore and corporate services). Revenue mechanics rely on third-party publisher distribution fees, proprietary publishing income, and ancillary services, with payment processing through Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, American Express, Postepay, and Visa Electron, and logistics handled by DHL, SDA, and Bartolini/GLS. As of March 2026, the company entered voluntary liquidation following three consecutive years of losses and family governance disputes that caused Mondadori and Feltrinelli to withdraw from acquisition negotiations, with Mondadori subsequently submitting an offer for the educational publishing division.

Name

Hoepli

Legal name

HOEPLI S.p.A.

Website

https://hoepli.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hoepli S.p.A. is a historic Milan-based bookstore and publisher (founded 1870) operating a 2,000+ sqm flagship store and the hoepli.it e-commerce platform, selling 500,000+ titles and publishing 5,494+ proprietary books across scientific, technical, and educational categories. Currently in voluntary liquidation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bookstore and Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass Market & Paperback Publishing (MPAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Books & Educational Readers Retail (CRALAAAD)

Keywords

• Book publishing
• Bookstore retail
• Educational textbooks
• E-commerce books
• Periodical subscriptions

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: Sale of physical books through the historic Milan-based bookstore and online e-commerce platform. The physical store spans over 2,000 square meters across five floors with over 100,000 books on display.
2. E-book Sales: Digital book sales through the hoepli.it platform. The company offers approximately 693 e-book titles across various categories including economics, science, art, humanities, sports, and dictionaries.
3. Periodical Subscriptions: Subscription service for Italian and foreign periodicals, along with bibliographic research services through international online databases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hoepli publishes and sells books across diverse categories including science, economics, law, computing, medicine, and humanities through its Hoepli Editore publishing arm and operates a hybrid retail distribution model combining a historic five-floor physical bookstore in central Milan with the hoepli.it e-commerce platform offering 500,000+ book titles. The portfolio also includes specialized imprints and digital platforms for school textbooks (Hoepli Scuola), test preparation (Hoepli Test), religious publishing (La Parola), children's books (Hoeplini), and online dictionaries (Grandi Dizionari), with additional services in periodical subscriptions and bibliographic research.

Product overview

Hoepli is a historic Milan-based publishing house and bookstore founded in 1870, operating both physical retail and e-commerce platforms. The company operates through multiple integrated channels: the flagship physical bookstore La Grande Libreria Internazionale in Milan (one of Europe's largest with over 100,000 books across five floors), the HOEPLI.it online platform offering over 500,000 books, and its publishing division Hoepli Editore with a catalog exceeding 5,400 titles. The portfolio includes specialized divisions: Hoepli Scuola for educational materials, Hoepli Test for exam preparation, and the La Parola imprint for religious and spiritual texts. The company also offers e-books (693 titles), children's books under the Hoeplini brand, online dictionaries, and B2B services. The publisher covers diverse subjects including science, economics, law, computing, medicine, architecture, humanities, and more, with a significant presence in Italian-language educational materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hoeplini: Children's book collection published by Hoepli Editore for young readers
• La Parola
• Hoepli Test
• Hoepli Scuola

Products and services

• HOEPLI.it - La Grande Libreria Online The main online bookstore platform offering access to over 500,000 books, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with e-commerce functionality for purchasing books, e-books, DVDs, and Blu-ray in various formats. Targeted at individual readers, students, and professionals across Italy and Europe.
• Hoepli Editore The publishing arm of the company, producing books across diverse categories including science, economics, law, computing, medicine, architecture, and more, with a catalog of over 5,494 books distributed through physical retail and direct orders. Targeted at professional, academic, and general readers seeking Italian-language technical and scientific content.
• La Grande Libreria Internazionale (Physical Store) The historic flagship bookstore in Milan, one of Europe's largest, occupying over 2,000 square meters across five floors with over 100,000 books and 40+ expert booksellers covering all major subject areas. Provides a physical browsing experience alongside periodic subscriptions and bibliographic research services for individual readers, students, and professionals.
• Hoepli Scuola Educational publishing division focusing on school textbooks and academic materials for Italian students across all grade levels. Operates a dedicated e-commerce platform (hoepliscuola.it) supplying curriculum-aligned teaching materials.
• Hoepli Test Test preparation materials and resources for university admission exams and professional certifications, delivered through a dedicated website (hoeplitest.it). Targets secondary school graduates and professionals preparing for standardized examinations.
• Grandi Dizionari Online dictionary platform offering comprehensive linguistic reference tools and multilingual dictionaries. Targets language learners, translators, and professional reference users across Italian-speaking markets.
• La Parola An imprint specializing in religious studies, spirituality, philosophy, and human sciences, publishing 63 titles including works on Buddhism, Christianity, Yoga, and interfaith dialogue. Targeted at readers of religious and philosophical content.
• Hoeplini Children's book collection featuring illustrated stories designed to spark curiosity and creativity in young readers, with titles for ages 3 and up. Targeted at families and young readers.
• E-books Digital book offerings complementing the physical catalog, with 693 e-book titles available across various categories including economics, science, art, humanities, and sports. Targeted at readers preferring digital formats for portable and on-demand reading.
• Servizi per le Aziende (B2B Services) Business-to-business services offering bulk purchasing, corporate gifting solutions, and specialized services for enterprise clients requiring curated reference and gift book selections.
• Periodical Subscriptions and Bibliographic Research Subscription service for Italian and foreign periodicals, along with bibliographic research services through international online databases. Targeted at libraries, professionals, and researchers needing ongoing access to journals and bibliographic data.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mondadori Group: Italy's largest publishing house and bookstore operator. Directly comparable to Hoepli because it spans trade, educational, and retail book businesses and has already submitted a bid for Hoepli's educational publishing division, indicating active overlap in both content and channels.
• Einaudi (Giulio Einaudi Editore): Major Italian trade publisher under the Mondadori umbrella with strong literary and nonfiction lists. Comparable to Hoepli Editore on the publishing side, particularly in humanities, science, and narrative categories.
• De Agostini: Italian publishing group with significant educational and reference publishing, including school textbooks and encyclopedias. Comparable to Hoepli through its educational division overlap and direct-to-consumer catalog distribution model.
• Amazon Italy: Dominant online book and e-book retailer in Italy. Comparable to hoepli.it as the primary competitive force in Italian online book retail, and a structural headwind that has contributed to legacy booksellers' margin pressure.

Direct peers

• Feltrinelli: Major Italian bookstore chain and publisher with both physical stores and a leading e-commerce platform. A near-direct competitor to Hoepli's flagship-store-plus-online model and previously a candidate acquirer, underscoring the overlap in target customers and product mix.
• Giunti Editore: Italian publisher and bookstore operator with strong educational and trade publishing exposure. Closely comparable to Hoepli given its combined publishing arm, school-focused sub-brands, and physical retail presence in major Italian cities.
• Rizzoli Education: Italian educational publisher with deep school and university curriculum reach. Directly comparable to Hoepli Scuola because it competes for the same institutional buyers and student segments in Italy's textbook market.
• Zanichelli: Historic Italian publisher specializing in school textbooks, dictionaries, and academic titles. Highly comparable to Hoepli's educational and reference publishing arms (Hoepli Scuola, Grandi Dizionari).
• IBS (Internet Bookshop Italia): One of Italy's largest online bookstores, offering a broad multi-category catalog comparable to hoepli.it's 500,000+ title selection. Directly competes with Hoepli in online book retail across the same Italian consumer base.
• Libraccio: Italian chain of physical and online bookstores with a particularly strong used, academic, and textbook assortment. Comparable to Hoepli in customer overlap (students, professionals) and product breadth, including new and secondary-market titles.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hoepli_1870
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9llulryVp6572ftanMSpug
• Facebookfacebook.com/Hoepli-La-Grande-Libreria-Online-Libri-e-DVD-131541955403
• Instagraminstagram.com/hoepli_libreria_editore/?hl=it

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hoepli