EHI Retail Institute

What EHI Retail Institute does

EHI Retail Institute, founded in 1951 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, is a research, training, and consultancy organization serving the European retail industry. The institute operates a membership-based knowledge network of approximately 850 member companies spanning retailers, consumer goods manufacturers, service providers, academic institutions, and retail startups across the DACH region and broader Europe. EHI generates market intelligence across 15 research areas including e-commerce, AI and robotics, logistics, marketing, payment, real estate, store planning, climate/energy, and personnel.

EHI's core offerings are content and event assets rather than technology platforms. Primary products include handelsdaten.de (a statistical database aggregating data from over 170 third-party sources), the stores+shops trade magazine, an annual research publication portfolio (Marketing Monitor, Shopping-Center Report, Klimarisiko-Studie), and a suite of trade fairs and conferences including EuroShop (the world's largest retail investment goods fair, co-organized with Messe Düsseldorf), EuroCIS (Europe's leading retail technology fair), China In-Store (Shanghai-based Asian market fair), EHI techdays, EHI Connect, and the Klima- und Energiekongress. Supporting offerings include working groups (Arbeitskreise), an online shop certification seal (EHI Geprüfter Online-Shop), and a young-professional development platform (EHI LAB with the Retail Expert Program).

EHI's revenue model rests on four interlocking streams: recurring annual membership fees (EUR 500 to EUR 3,500+ depending on company size and tier), event ticket sales and sponsorships, one-time publication sales via the EHI shop, and statistical database access fees. The institute is structured as both a registered association (e.V.) and a limited liability company (EHI Retail Institute GmbH), with no parent company; GS1 Germany operates as a joint subsidiary with Markenverband. Leadership comprises Managing Director Ulrich Spaan and President Markus Tkotz (from Markant), with the institute employing approximately 80 staff.

Name

EHI Retail Institute

Legal name

EHI Retail Institute GmbH

Website

https://ehi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

EHI Retail Institute is a Cologne-based research, training, and consultancy organization serving the European retail industry through a membership network of approximately 850 companies, offering industry studies, statistical databases, trade fairs, and professional development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from retail companies, consumer goods manufacturers, and service providers. Tiers include supporting members (minimum 2,000 EUR), regular members (based on company size 2,000-3,500+ EUR), and startup memberships (500-1,000 EUR for first 4 years).
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales and sponsorships for conferences, sessions, workshops, and training programs including EHI Connect, EHI techdays, EHI Klima- und Energiekongress, Marketing Circle, and various EHI-Sessions.
3. Publications and Studies: Sales of research reports, studies, and publications from 15 research areas through handelsdaten.de and the EHI shop.
4. Magazine Subscription: Revenue from stores+shops magazine subscriptions (included free with membership).
5. Statistical Database Access: Access fees for handelsdaten.de statistical database (Business S account included free with membership, additional tiers available).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

EHI Retail Institute is a research, training and consultancy organization for the retail industry, serving approximately 850 member companies across Europe. It delivers retail market research across 15 research areas, publishes studies and statistical databases, organizes major trade fairs (EuroShop, EuroCIS, China In-Store), runs conferences and training programs, and operates a quality certification program for online shops.

Product overview

EHI Retail Institute operates as a research and consulting organization for the retail industry rather than a software product company. Its offering portfolio consists of: (1) Research and knowledge products including studies (Marketing Monitor, Shopping-Center Report, Klimarisiko-Studie), the handelsdaten.de statistical database, and the stores+shops trade magazine; (2) Professional development including the Retail Expert Program and EHI LAB platform with podcasts; (3) Trade events including EuroShop, EuroCIS, China In-Store, EHI Connect, techdays, Klima- und Energiekongress, Inventur- und Sicherheitskongress, Handelsgastronomie Forum, Marketing Circle, and various EHI-Sessions; (4) Quality certification via EHI Geprüfter Online-Shop; (5) Industry awards (EHI Retail Technology Award); and (6) Collaborative initiatives like the Initiative Angebotskommunikation and working groups across 15 research areas. The organization connects retail professionals through membership, events, and knowledge sharing rather than offering a unified software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• stores+shops: Trade magazine for the retail industry covering concept, design, and technology topics.
• handelsdaten.de
• EuroCIS
• EuroShop
• China In-Store
• EHI-Lab
• EHI-Siegel (EHI Geprüfter Online-Shop)
• EHI Connect
• EHI techdays

Products and services

• EHI Membership (Mitgliedschaft)

Quantifiable outcome

• 850 member companies across Europe benefit from EHI's research and networking
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KPMGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026EHI and KPMG co-published the Consumer Snapshot report on digital consulting in retail, based on a survey of 500 consumers regarding chatbots and digital consultation preferences in shopping.
• Messe DüsseldorfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHI co-organizes major retail trade fairs with Messe Düsseldorf: EuroShop (world's largest retail investment goods fair), EuroCIS (retail technology fair), and China in-store (Asian retail fair in Shanghai).
• Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum HandelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHI is part of the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Handel initiative that supports small and medium-sized companies with digitization through training, events, and best practice examples.
• GS1 GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGS1 Germany is a subsidiary of EHI and the Markenverband, coordinating the allocation of Global Trading Item Numbers (GTIN/EAN) in Germany.
• LaudertminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia service provider supporting EHI marketing studies including the Marketingmonitor Handel and Data-driven Marketing studies.
• Bring!minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShopping list app partner providing insights on personalized product recommendations during shopping planning.
• optilyzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Data-driven Marketing study, specializing in print-to-digital campaign optimization.
• PaybackminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoyalty program partner in EHI research on data-driven marketing and customer insights.
• BonialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Initiative Angebotskommunikation (Offer Communication Initiative) focusing on retail marketing and communication strategies.
• Media CentralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Initiative Angebotskommunikation for retail communication and marketing.
• Media ImpactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Initiative Angebotskommunikation, contributing to scenario studies on the future of offer communication.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE): German Retail Federation representing German retailers through lobbying, statistics, and industry events. Comparable to EHI as a retail-industry membership organization, though more focused on policy advocacy and not direct research commerce.
• IFH Köln: Cologne-based retail research institute providing market data, consumer insights, and consultancy for retail and consumer goods. Operates a near-identical research and membership model to EHI and is the most direct geographic competitor.
• BBE Handelsberatung: German retail consultancy offering strategic consulting, market research, and industry studies for retail and consumer goods companies. Closely comparable to EHI in client base and research/consulting offerings within the German-speaking market.
• ECC Köln (Ecommerce Center Köln): Cologne-based institute focused on ecommerce and digital commerce research, providing studies, events, and working groups for online retail. Directly comparable to EHI's e-commerce research and EHI Connect conference.
• GlobalData Retail (formerly Planet Retail): Global retail intelligence provider offering market research, retailer profiles, and data subscriptions. Closely comparable to EHI's research/database product set, but with much broader geographic coverage and scale.

Others

• Messe Düsseldorf: Trade fair organizer and EHI's primary partner for EuroShop, EuroCIS, and China In-Store. Comparable as a co-organizer of large retail trade fairs but acts as an infrastructure partner rather than a research competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Euromonitor International: Global market research firm providing syndicated and custom research across retail, consumer goods, and related industries. Competes with EHI's paid studies but serves a far broader geographic and category footprint.
• Statista: Global data platform with extensive retail, consumer, and industry statistics. Comparable to handelsdaten.de as a paid statistical database, but with much broader content depth and global coverage.
• NielsenIQ: Global retail data and analytics provider offering point-of-sale data, consumer panels, and retail measurement services. Adjacent to EHI's data and research mission but operating at much larger scale and broader international footprint.
• Kantar: Global market research and consulting firm with significant retail and consumer goods practices. Indirectly comparable to EHI's research, consulting, and benchmarking offerings at much larger global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ehi_retail
• Facebookfacebook.com/ehi.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ehi-retail-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/ehi_retail
• Xx.com/ehi_org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 EHI Retail Institute