The KaDeWe Group

What The KaDeWe Group does

The KaDeWe Group (legal entity: KaDeWe GmbH) is a privately held German luxury department store operator headquartered in Berlin, running three flagship retail properties: KaDeWe Berlin (founded 1907, over 60,000 sqm across 8 floors), Alsterhaus Hamburg (over 24,000 sqm across 6 floors), and Oberpollinger Munich (50,000 sqm across 7 floors). The Berlin flagship is one of the largest department stores in Europe and is positioned alongside Galeries Lafayette Paris and Harrods London. Wholly owned subsidiaries Alsterhaus GmbH and Oberpollinger GmbH operate the Hamburg and Munich stores respectively.

The Group's core offering is luxury multi-category physical retail — international designer fashion, premium beauty, home & living, and an extensive food and gastronomy proposition headlined by 'Die Sechste' (the 6th floor food hall with 35,000+ products, wines, and 20+ restaurants and bars). Ancillary revenue and differentiation are driven by white-glove services: personal shopping/VIC programs, beauty lounges, an in-house alterations atelier, chauffeur/limousine service, and catering. Supporting technology stack comprises SAP S/4HANA for ERP, SAP HCM for HR, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM, Braze for marketing automation and loyalty communications, and a custom loyalty portal at loyalty.kadewe.com.

The business model is direct-to-consumer luxury retail with a hybrid product-led motion layered via the loyalty program (which provides points accumulation, a 10% welcome bonus, exclusive experiences, and personalized services across all three stores). Revenue streams include one-time merchandise sales, food and beverage, loyalty/recurring engagement, and professional services. Customer segments span local affluent shoppers, international luxury tourists, gourmet enthusiasts, and VIP/personal shopping clients. Following a 2025 cyberattack and insolvency, the Group has restructured under new leadership (Timo Weber, CEO; Florian Frank, Managing Director; Sean Hill, Chairman of the Supervisory Board) and is operating under new management.

Name

The KaDeWe Group

Legal name

KaDeWe GmbH

Website

https://kadewe.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The KaDeWe Group operates three German luxury department stores — KaDeWe Berlin (60,000+ sqm), Alsterhaus Hamburg (24,000+ sqm), and Oberpollinger Munich (50,000 sqm) — serving affluent local shoppers and international tourists with designer fashion, beauty, gourmet food (Die Sechste), and white-glove services across the three flagships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Department Store Retail

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (4581), Specialty Food Retailers (4452), Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Retailers (4583)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Home & Lifestyle Department Stores (CRAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Gourmet Food & Specialty Food Halls (Department Store–Operated) (CRAGADAH), Luxury Accessories & Leather Goods Department Stores (CRAGADAE)

Keywords

• Luxury department stores
• Premium fashion retail
• Gourmet food hall
• Personal shopping services
• Beauty retail services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from sale of luxury fashion, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and gourmet food across 8 floors at KaDeWe Berlin and additional stores. Products include international luxury brands, designer collections, and exclusive runway pieces.
2. Food & Beverage: Revenue from 6th floor food department with 35,000+ products and wines, over 20 restaurants and food counters, including Casa Beef, Goldies Bar, Moët & Chandon Bar, Champagnerbar, and catering services.
3. Loyalty Program: Loyalty Card Program generates customer data and drives repeat purchases through points accumulation and exclusive member benefits. 10% welcome bonus for new members.
4. Services: Premium services including personal shopping, beauty treatments, alteration services, chauffeur/limousine service, and event hosting drive additional revenue and differentiate the shopping experience.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The KaDeWe Group operates three luxury department stores in Germany — KaDeWe Berlin (60,000+ sqm, 8 floors), Alsterhaus Hamburg (24,000+ sqm, 6 floors), and Oberpollinger Munich (50,000 sqm, 7 floors) — selling international designer fashion, beauty, home & living merchandise, and gourmet food across the renowned 35,000-product Die Sechste food hall. The company also delivers premium in-store services including personal shopping, beauty treatments, alterations, chauffeur/limousine service, and catering. A cross-store Loyalty Card Program supports retention and personalized customer engagement.

Product overview

The KaDeWe Group operates three prestigious department stores in Germany: KaDeWe Berlin (60,000+ sqm, 8 floors), Alsterhaus Hamburg (24,000+ sqm, 6 floors), and Oberpollinger Munich (50,000 sqm, 7 floors). The Group's product portfolio centers on luxury retail experiences combining fashion, beauty, home & living, and gastronomy. The flagship KaDeWe Berlin features the renowned 'Die Sechste' food hall with 35,000+ products and 20+ dining options. Services include Personal Shopping, Beauty Services, Catering, Chauffeur Service, and a Loyalty Card Program spanning all three locations. The Group also offers event venues and ticketing services. The offering is not a unified software platform but rather a collection of physical retail locations supported by digital touchpoints (loyalty portal, appointment booking, online magazine, ticket shop).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Die Sechste (The Sixth): The 6th floor food and gastronomy department featuring over 35,000 products, wines, champagne bar, restaurants and food counters - one of the most comprehensive food departments worldwide
• KaDeWe Loyalty Card Programm

Products and services

• KaDeWe Berlin Flagship Department Store Flagship luxury department store in Berlin with over 60,000 sqm across 8 floors, offering international designer fashion, beauty, home & living, and the Die Sechste food hall. Serves affluent shoppers, fashion enthusiasts, international tourists, and gourmet diners.
• Alsterhaus Hamburg Department Store

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 sqm of retail space - one of Europe's largest department stores
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Braze Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationCRM and marketing automation platform used for customer engagement, push notifications, newsletter personalization, and loyalty program communications. Core to KaDeWe's customer relationship management strategy.
• LILYSILKminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium lifestyle brand specializing in silk and natural fiber products. Operates concession sales within Oberpollinger Munich store. Hiring conducted through KaDeWe but employment is with LILYSILK.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Harrods: London-based luxury department store and a global benchmark for KaDeWe's positioning. Comparable in scale, brand curation, food halls (Harrods Food Hall), premium services, and tourist-driven luxury retail.
• Selfridges: UK luxury department store group (Oxford Street flagship plus regional stores). Comparable business model: luxury fashion, beauty, food, and destination retail, with similar tourist dependency and brand positioning to KaDeWe.
• El Corte Inglés: Spain's largest department store group with flagship stores combining fashion, gourmet food halls, restaurants, and services. Highly comparable multi-category luxury retail model serving both domestic affluent customers and international tourists.
• Printemps: Paris-based luxury department store recently taken private and repositioned for premium/luxury segments. Comparable to KaDeWe as a continental European destination department store with fashion, beauty, and curated food offerings.
• La Rinascente: Italy's leading luxury department store chain with flagship stores in Milan, Rome, and other cities. Directly comparable in scale, premium positioning, food hall concepts (like Caffè La Rinascente), and tourist-driven luxury model.
• Galeries Lafayette: Iconic French luxury department store flagship on Boulevard Haussmann, Paris. Directly comparable to KaDeWe as a destination luxury department store with strong food hall (La Maison), beauty, and fashion, serving both local and international luxury tourists.

Broad incumbents

• Neiman Marcus: US luxury department store group (also recently emerged from Chapter 11). Comparable premium fashion/beauty/gourmet positioning, services such as personal shopping, and the post-restructuring turnaround narrative relevant to KaDeWe.
• Saks Fifth Avenue: US-based luxury department store chain (now operated by HBC post-Saks.com separation). Comparable luxury positioning, food/service experiences, and tourist-driven flagship model, though with a different geographic and digital footprint.

Regional players

• Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof: Largest German department store operator, also emerged from insolvency proceedings in 2024. Comparable as a domestic multi-city department store chain, though positioned more broadly (mid-market to premium) versus KaDeWe's luxury focus.
• Breuninger: German premium fashion and lifestyle department store with flagship in Stuttgart and Düsseldorf. Comparable as a German luxury/premium multi-store retailer with strong fashion and beauty curation, though with less iconic food hall presence than KaDeWe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kadewe
• Instagraminstagram.com/kadeweofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-kadewe-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 The KaDeWe Group