What August Storck KG does

August Storck KG is a fourth-generation, family-owned confectionery manufacturer headquartered in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1903. The company operates three German production facilities (Berlin, Halle in Westphalia, and Ohrdruf) where it manufactures chocolate, sugar confectionery, and gum products from raw materials (cocoa beans, sugar, dairy, fats) through in-house processes including roasting, conching, tempering, cooking, and extruding. More than 7,700 of its 8,000+ global employees are based at the German production sites, which are certified under SA8000, ISO 50001, and ISO 14064-1 standards, and the company maintains a 1,530-hectare own cocoa farm in the Dominican Republic (La Magdalena, since 2016) and a joint venture in Ecuador (RISTOKCACAO, since 2009) for upstream cocoa control.

The company's product portfolio is anchored by globally recognized brands including Toffifee, merci, Knoppers, Werther's Original, RIESEN, Mamba, nimm2, Bendicks, and Dickmann's, spanning chocolate bars, boxed assortments, caramel and toffee confectionery, fruit chews, and gummies. Revenue is generated primarily through wholesale sales of these branded products via mass-market retail (supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, confectionery specialists, drugstores) in more than 100 countries, complemented by direct-to-consumer channels including 11 factory sales/outlets in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, the company's own online brand shop, and a dedicated Storck Travel Retail division serving airports and travel hubs. Distribution is executed through 22 wholly owned international subsidiaries spanning Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Storck operates as a Kommanditgesellschaft (limited partnership) under German law, controlled by the founding Storck family, and reinvests profits rather than raising external capital. Sustainability, sourcing compliance, and supply-chain transparency (100% RSPO-certified palm oil since 2015, 100% certified/verified West African cocoa since end of 2023, EUDR deforestation-free cocoa by 2025, ISO 14064-1 verified Scope 1-3 emissions) are framed both as regulatory preparation and as buyer eligibility for global retailers. Pricing is set through retail channels and is not publicly disclosed, while promotional campaigns (seasonal brand campaigns, partnerships with schleich, JUNIQE, and travel-retail activations) support mass-market positioning across consumer age groups.

Name

August Storck KG

Legal name

AUGUST STORCK KG

Website

https://storck.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Family-owned German confectionery manufacturer (founded 1903, Berlin) producing chocolate, sugar confectionery, and gum products under global brands including Toffifee, merci, Knoppers, Werther's Original, RIESEN, and Mamba for mass-market consumers across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery Manufacturing

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Confectionery Manufacturing (Chocolate, Candy, Gum) (AFAKAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM)

Keywords

• Chocolate confectionery
• Sugar confectionery
• Branded candy products
• Confectionery manufacturing
• Chocolate bars

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices25 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Confectionery Product Sales: August Storck KG generates revenue primarily through the manufacture and sale of confectionery products (chocolate, sugar confectionery, gum and jelly products) under owned brands including Toffifee, merci, Knoppers, Werther's Original, RIESEN, Mamba, nimm2, and Bendicks. Products are sold through retail channels, directly operated outlets, and international subsidiaries to consumers in over 100 countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

August Storck KG manufactures and sells branded confectionery products including chocolate confectionery, chocolate bars and wafers, boxed assorted chocolates, chewy fruit candies, caramel and toffee confectionery, and gummy and hard candies. Products are produced in-house at three German production facilities and sold globally under owned brands such as Toffifee, merci, Knoppers, Werther's Original, RIESEN, Mamba, nimm2, Bendicks, and Dickmann's.

Product overview

August Storck KG is a confectionery company offering a diversified portfolio of branded sweet products. The portfolio spans multiple confectionery segments: chocolate confectionery (Toffifee, Bendicks), chocolate bars and wafers (Knoppers), boxed assorted chocolates (merci), chewy fruit candies (Mamba, Colourful World), caramel and toffee confectionery (Werther's Original, RIESEN), and sugar confectionery including gummies and hard candies (nimm2). New product formats such as Dickmann's Bites extend established sub-brands. Products are sold through factory outlets, retail channels, and online, with the company operating its own production facilities in Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Toffifee: Chocolate hazelnut confectionery with caramel and hazelnut in a toffee cup
• merci
• nimm2
• Knoppers
• Werther's Original
• RIESEN
• Mamba
• Colourful World
• Bendicks
• Dickmann's

Products and services

• Toffifee

Quantifiable outcome

• Water consumption reduced to 2.72 m³ per tonne of finished product (2024)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao (German Cocoa Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Storck is a member of the Forum Nachhaltiger Kakao and has created a Roadmap with concrete commitments for sustainable cocoa sourcing, including certification, traceability, child labor prevention, deforestation-free supply chain, agroforestry support, and living income goals.
• FairtradecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Storck sources cocoa from West Africa certified under Fairtrade standards. Fairtrade certification provides higher prices for producer cooperatives and a Community Premium for collective social projects in origin countries (education, healthcare, infrastructure). Part of the dual strategy alongside Rainforest Alliance.
• Rainforest AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Storck sources cocoa from West Africa certified under Rainforest Alliance standards. Rainforest Alliance certification covers social, ecological, and economic criteria for sustainable farming. Part of the dual certification strategy alongside Fairtrade to ensure comprehensive sustainability coverage.
• Mariposa (Palm Oil Smallholder Project)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Crowdfunding initiative supported by Storck through a long-term supplier, enabling sustainable palm oil production for smallholder farmers in Latin American countries including Honduras, Colombia, and Guatemala. Over 6,000 farmers have received practical training. A mobile app helps farmers monitor field activities and document pesticide use.
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Storck joined RSPO in 2011 and committed to sourcing 100% sustainably certified palm oil. Since 2015, all palm oil used is RSPO-certified. Storck has achieved full scores on the RSPO Shared Responsibility Scorecard in 2023 and 2024, demonstrating leadership in sustainable palm oil sourcing. The RSPO sets global standards for sustainable palm oil covering ethical conduct, legal compliance, environmental protection, and human rights.
• RISTOKCACAO (Ecuador)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Joint venture established in Ecuador in 2009 with a local partner to operate a fermentation and drying center for high-quality fine aroma cocoa. RISTOKCACAO performs key cocoa processing steps (fermentation and drying) professionally, ensuring consistent quality for Storck's premium chocolate products. No child labor cases have been detected in the Ecuador supply chain.
• GS1 (Upstream Initiative)coreTechnology or IntegrationStorck participates in the GS1 Upstream Initiative for the standardization and simplification of EDI document types in procurement. GS1 standards are used for electronic order (ORDERS), order change (ORCHG), order confirmation (ORDRSP), and invoice (INVOIC) transmission with suppliers.
• SAP AribacoreTechnology or IntegrationStorck is transitioning its supplier management system from SAP SLC to SAP Ariba SLP (Supplier Lifecycle and Performance). The transition enables suppliers to manage their own data via the Ariba Business Network. Suppliers need a free Ariba Business Network account for the new system.
• La Magdalena Cocoa Farm (Dominican Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStorck operates its own cocoa farm in the Dominican Republic (La Magdalena, 1,530 hectares) in partnership with a local partner. Since 2016, over 1.4 million cocoa and shade trees have been planted. The farm produces high-quality fine aroma cocoa essential for premium chocolate quality and ensures zero child labor risk.
• The Stork Foundation (Stiftung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by the owner family, 'The Stork Foundation — Störche für unsere Kinder' has since the 1990s acquired and renaturated land in the Drömling region (border of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt) and in the Elbtalaue (Lüneburg Heath). The foundation has doubled the number of white stork breeding pairs to nearly 60 in the Drömling, which became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Activities support the storork as a symbol of intact environments.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Haribo: German family-founded sugar and chocolate confectionery maker (goldbears, licorice, chocolate ranges). Directly comparable as a family-owned, German-headquartered confectionery manufacturer with broad mass-market brand portfolio spanning gummies, licorice, and chocolate — competes on the same European shelves as Storck's nimm2, Mamba, and merci.
• Ferrero: Italian-owned global chocolate and confectionery group (Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder, Tic Tac). Closely comparable premium chocolate and assorted-box confectionery competitor to merci, Toffifee, and Knoppers across European and international retail.
• Lindt (Chocoladenfabrik Lindt & Sprüngli): Swiss premium chocolate manufacturer (Lindt, Ghirardelli, Caffarel, Excellence, Lindor). Comparable product positioning in boxed pralines, premium tablets, and seasonal chocolate assortments — directly competes with merci's premium tier and gift-box segment.
• Perfetti Van Melle: Italian-Dutch sugar confectionery and chewing gum group (Mentos, Chupa Chups, Fruittella, Mentos gum). Most direct competitor to Storck's nimm2, Mamba, and RIESEN in sugar confectionery and gum; similar multi-brand portfolio and European manufacturing footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Mars, Incorporated: Global privately-held food and confectionery conglomerate (M&M's, Snickers, Maltesers, Milky Way, Uncle Ben's, Royal Canin). Overlaps with Storck in boxed chocolate and impulse confectionery but operates across a much broader food-and-pet portfolio with significantly larger R&D and marketing budgets.
• Mondelēz International: Global snacking major (Cadbury, Toblerone, Milka, Terry's, Oreo). Competes head-to-head with merci, Toffifee, and Knoppers in chocolate tablets and boxed assortments across 100+ countries; much larger portfolio and global retailer negotiating leverage.
• Nestlé S.A. World's largest food and beverage company, with confectionery exposure via KitKat (licensed from Rowntree's heritage), Smarties, Quality Street, and Aero. Broad-based incumbent where confectionery is one segment among many — competes for premium and seasonal chocolate shelf space.
• The Hershey Company: U.S.-listed chocolate-focused confectioner (Hershey's, Reese's, Kisses). Comparable mono-category focus on chocolate/confectionery but with stronger North-American retail concentration; complementary to Storck's Stronger European and travel-retail positioning.

Regional players

• Cloetta AB: Swedish confectionery group (Kexchokolad, Plopp, Center, Sportladdie) with broad sugar and chocolate confectionery brand portfolio. Comparable in confectionery mix but operates primarily in the Nordic region with limited overlap outside Scandinavia.

Others

• Barry Callebaut AG: World's largest chocolate and cocoa-product manufacturer, supplying industrial chocolate and cocoa ingredients to confectionery producers including Storck. Adjacent rather than directly competing — operates in Storck's upstream supply chain rather than on the same retail shelves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/auguststorckkg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/storck

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries24 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 August Storck KG