What GESA does

GESA Form + Funktion Displaybau GmbH is a German family-owned manufacturer of point-of-sale furniture and display systems for the cosmetics industry, founded in 1965 and headquartered in Dreieich-Offenthal near Frankfurt. The company designs, prototypes, produces and installs custom POS displays, counters and merchandise presentation systems, operating under two revenue streams: hardware sales of custom-built displays and full-service project delivery encompassing design conception, technical development, prototyping, production, rollout and installation. Its flagship technology is the patented Plan Incliné modular building-block system, which integrates into multiple counter and furniture sizes globally with exchangeable, brand-customizable elements. Beyond Plan Incliné, the product portfolio includes Push-Feed automatic product-feed systems, the BioBOX eco-design display for L'Oréal, and a flexible Multi-Brand Unit for COTY France brands deployed at Pharmabest pharmacies.

The go-to-market is direct enterprise B2B, selling into international and local cosmetic brand owners and FMCG customers; named enterprise customers include L'Oréal, COTY (Bourjois Paris, Rimmel London, Sally Hansen) and Procter & Gamble. Production and commercial infrastructure span Germany (Dreieich-Offenthal headquarters/production), Kunshan, China (production facility established 2005) and France (sales representation established 2005). GESA markets through LinkedIn, a corporate website and an email newsletter; pricing is project-quoted and not publicly disclosed. Sustainability is a documented differentiator: GESA participates in the CDP and EcoVadis programs with positive scores, holds a WEEE registration, and offers a circular-economy service line covering material recovery, separation and reintegration into new displays. Leadership transitioned in late 2024 following the death of long-serving majority shareholder Otmar M. Rau, with Livia Rau and Benjamin Régnier now serving as joint Managing Directors. The company is not publicly listed.

Name

GESA

Legal name

GESA Form + Funktion Displaybau GmbH

Website

https://gesa-design.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

GESA Form + Funktion Displaybau GmbH is a German family-owned manufacturer, founded 1965, that designs and produces custom point-of-sale displays, counters and furniture for international cosmetics and FMCG brands, anchored by its patented Plan Incliné modular system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Display Manufacturing

NAICS

Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing (3372), Industrial Design Services (541420)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Point-of-Sale (POS) & In-Store Promotion Services (BPAFAMAF)

Keywords

• POS display manufacturing
• Cosmetic retail furniture
• Modular display systems
• Retail merchandising solutions
• Point-of-sale displays

Headquarters

HQ city

Dreieich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. POS Display Manufacturing and Sales: GESA designs, develops, produces, and installs custom POS displays and furniture for cosmetic brands. Revenue is generated through project-based orders encompassing the full lifecycle from design through installation.
2. Full-Service Solutions: Comprehensive POS solutions including design conception, technical development, prototyping, production, rollout, and installation services, providing end-to-end project delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GESA Form + Funktion Displaybau GmbH designs, manufactures, and installs custom point-of-sale (POS) displays and furniture for the cosmetics industry. The company delivers end-to-end solutions covering creative design, technical development, prototyping, production, rollout, and on-site installation of branded cosmetic counters and retail merchandising furniture. Its product portfolio includes the patented Plan Incliné modular system, Push-Feed automatic product advance systems, BioBOX eco-design displays, Multi-Brand Units, and generic furniture concepts tailored for major FMCG brands.

Product overview

GESA Form + Funktion Displaybau GmbH is a German family-owned company (founded 1965) operating in the Point-of-Sale (POS) display industry. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on cosmetics displays and POS solutions. Core products include custom POS displays, the patented Plan Incliné modular display system, Push-Feed automatic product feed systems, BioBOX eco-design displays, and Multi-Brand Units for multi-brand cosmetics presentations. These products are supported by integrated services spanning Design & Development, Production, and Rollout & Installation. The company also emphasizes sustainability through circular economy practices including material recovery and recycling. GESA serves international customers from the decorative cosmetics industry with operations including international location expansion to France and China (Kunshan since 2005).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• POS Displays (Point-of-Sale Displays) Custom-designed display units and POS furniture for showcasing cosmetic products at retail locations, serving international customers in the decorative cosmetics industry.
• Plan Incliné A patented modular display system that integrates globally into various counter types and furniture sizes. Features exchangeable and individually customizable elements for distinctive brand presentation.
• Push-Feed Product Feed Systems Automatic product feed systems for cosmetic products, originally developed for brands like Ellen Betrix, ensuring continuous product presentation at counters.
• BioBOX Eco-Design Display Eco-design display solution developed for L'Oréal featuring sustainable packaging and circular economy principles.
• Multi-Brand Unit Flexible modular cosmetics counter system developed for COTY France brands (Bourjois Paris, Rimmel London, Sally Hansen) at Pharmabest pharmacies, allowing individual adaptation to various store fitting situations.
• Generic Furniture Concept Generic furniture and display family developed for Procter & Gamble for various hair care brands in the professional sector.
• Design & Development Services Design conception, technical development, and prototyping services from GESA's creative and development team, leveraging industry and market expertise.
• Production Services Comprehensive production services including all standard materials, production methods, and finishing processes following design and development phases.
• Rollout & Installation Services Customized POS solutions including planning, design, rollout processes, and installation of POS furniture at retail locations.
• Circular Economy Solutions Sustainability service including material recovery, separation, and reintegration into new displays, with remaining materials recycled in a sorted manner.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Group Delphi: U.S. provider of exhibits, events, and retail environments with in-house design and fabrication. Operates a scaled version of the design-build-install playbook that GESA executes for cosmetics brands.
• Displayworks: U.S.-headquartered full-service retail display and store fixture provider offering design, manufacturing and rollout. Larger and more diversified than GESA, but directly comparable B2B model serving brand-side retail programs.

Direct peers

• Kesseböhmer GmbH: German manufacturer specializing in retail merchandising systems, shop fittings, and POS display hardware for brand customers. Operates in adjacent fixtures/merchandising categories with similar B2B project engineering and production model.
• OCTANORM Vertriebs GmbH: German-origin modular display and exhibition systems maker with global distribution of reconfigurable retail/display kits. Overlaps with GESA in modular cosmetic/POS display categories and brand-activation fixtures.
• Mustang Stallbau und Display GmbH & Co. KG: German retail display and shop-fitting producer serving FMCG and brand customers with custom fixtures, counters, and in-store presentation systems. Comparable end-to-end design-build-install service model targeting brand-side procurement teams.
• Schaum Display GmbH: Germany-based specialized manufacturer of POS displays and shop furniture with a similar focus on retail merchandising hardware for brand customers. Closely comparable in offering, customer type, and B2B project-based delivery model.

Regional players

• Roussel SAS: France-based retail/POS display fabricator serving cosmetics and beauty brands in the French and southern European market. Comparable customer base and product category with regional rather than pan-European coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gesa

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 GESA