A subsidiary of French luxury group LVMH and its billionaire owner Bernard Arnault have purchased a majority stake in Birkenstock, the German maker of the iconic and eponymous sandals said Friday. "We will get excellent market access and contacts in Asia through the new co-owners, and can push on with our growth at an accelerated pace," Birkenstock chief executive Oliver Reichert told business weekly Handelsblatt. hmn/dlc/bmm