What COMBERA does

COMBERA GmbH is a Munich-headquartered German POS (point-of-sale) marketing and field sales specialist, founded in 1976 and operating as a private limited company under the Smollan global retail solutions group. The business is organized around a Think.Create.Do service architecture: Think delivers database marketing and analytics including proprietary tools REX (field sales and POS measures management), ShopMetrics (compliance auditing), and CaCi (route optimization); Create delivers cross-channel brand activation including in-store theater, digital/social campaigns, and pop-up experiences; Do executes the work at retail through a deployed workforce of approximately 3,000 personnel — 300 permanent staff, 500 leasing travelers, 600 mobile merchandisers, and 1,500 promoters — across DIY, consumer electronics, food retail (LEH/GAM), and special trade channels.

The company serves brand manufacturers and enterprise clients across Germany through a B2B enterprise field sales motion, with revenue generated from professional services engagements priced via custom quotations based on project scope, duration, and resource intensity. COMBERA is also a member of the uplift practice network, a strategic alliance spanning shopper marketing, category management, and sales development.

The business is wholly owned by Smollan (founded 1931, South Africa-headquartered, operating in 60+ markets), giving COMBERA international parent-level resources while retaining operational independence in Germany. Sustainability positioning is documented through repeated EcoVadis certifications (Bronze 2022, Silver 2023, Bronze 2024–2026) and a 2025 Great Place to Work certification, supporting enterprise procurement requirements.

Name

COMBERA

Legal name

COMBERA GmbH

Website

https://combera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

COMBERA GmbH is a Munich-headquartered German POS marketing and field sales specialist founded in 1976, serving brand manufacturers across DIY, consumer electronics, food retail, and special trade channels through a deployed workforce of approximately 3,000 personnel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. POS Marketing Services: Full-service POS marketing including activation, promotions, and brand performances at retail locations
2. Field Sales & Merchandising: Deployment of sales representatives, promoters, and merchandisers to retail outlets
3. Data & Analytics Services: Database marketing, business intelligence, and analytics solutions for POS optimization

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

COMBERA is a German full-service POS marketing and sales support agency that helps brands and manufacturers get products from the shelf into the shopping cart. It delivers three integrated service lines — Think (database marketing and analytics), Create (cross-channel marketing and brand activation), and Do (POS execution including field sales, merchandising, auditing, and promoter staffing) — and deploys roughly 3,000 personnel across DIY, consumer electronics, food retail, and special trade channels.

Product overview

COMBERA is a German POS (Point of Sale) marketing specialist operating since 1976, organized around three core divisions: Think (Database Marketing and Analytics), Create (Cross-Channel Marketing and Brand Activation), and Do (POS Execution and Field Sales). The Think division includes proprietary tools REX for field and POS measures management, ShopMetrics for compliance auditing, and CaCi for route optimization. Create delivers cross-channel campaigns including instore theater, TV spots, social media, and Pop-Up Stores. Do provides POS activation services through sales force management, merchandising, auditing, and staffing with 1,500 promoters, 600 mobile merchandisers, and 500 leasing travelers across multiple retail channels including DIY, Consumer Electronics, LEH/GAM, and Special Trade. The company operates as a unified Full-Service Agency rather than a modular platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Think — Database Marketing and Analytics Insights service line that transforms customer and market data into actionable insights to answer individual business questions for brands and manufacturers.
• Create — Cross-Channel Marketing and Brand Activation Brand activation service line delivering integrated cross-channel campaigns from analog to digital, including instore theater, TV spots, digital and social media, and Pop-Up Stores.
• Do — POS Execution and Activation Services POS execution service line delivering sales, merchandising, auditing, and brand activation at point of sale locations, with tactical, exclusive, cooperation, and Crown realization models.
• POS Sales Force Management Contract sales force solutions providing external permanent employees for all sales-related and adjacent areas of client businesses.
• Promoter and Merchandiser Staffing Deployment of 1,500 promoters, 600 mobile merchandisers, and 500 leasing travelers for POS activation and execution across Germany.
• Mystery Shopping Marketing research service using test customers to evaluate sales advisory quality and conduct test purchases at retail locations.
• On Shelf Audits (OSA) Marketing method for monitoring and improving shelf placement effectiveness through store visits and compliance checking.
• Store Check Information collection service about retail store sales activities through anonymous visitor assessments of product presentation, inventory, promotions, and competitive positioning.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/parent and core.

• Smollanflagship/parentStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMBERA is part of Smollan, a leading global company for trade solutions operating since 1931. Smollan is active in over 60 markets worldwide and works with many of the world's most famous brands. COMBERA benefits from Smollan's global reach and network focused on innovation and operational excellence.
• upliftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMBERA is part of uplift network - a practice network consisting of high-caliber partners from Shopper Marketing, Category Management and Sales Development. The network connects all competencies for POS success.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• REL Field Marketing: UK-headquartered field marketing agency providing retail execution, merchandising, and mystery shopping services. Directly comparable in business model — deploying field personnel to deliver retail marketing outcomes for brands.
• Advantage Solutions: US-headquartered (NYSE: ADV) provider of sales, marketing, and retail merchandising services to consumer goods manufacturers. Closely comparable in offering integrated sales, marketing, and supply-chain services through a deployed field force.
• Acosta: North American sales and marketing agency providing retail execution, field marketing, and merchandising services to CPG brands. Highly comparable business model — large deployed field workforce delivering POS activation and compliance auditing for brand clients.
• Scharco: German sales promotion and field marketing agency offering POS execution, merchandising, and promoter deployment. Direct German-market competitor with the same core service mix targeting similar retail verticals.
• The Marketing Arm (TMA): Omnicom-owned agency specializing in shopper marketing, experiential, and sponsorship-led brand activation. Comparable in delivering cross-channel brand activation and POS execution for major consumer brands.
• Crossmark: Global retail services agency delivering in-store execution, merchandising, and shopper marketing. Directly comparable in serving brand manufacturers with field-based POS marketing and retail activation services.

Broad incumbents

• Smollan: Parent company of COMBERA and a global retail solutions group operating in 60+ markets since 1931. Comparable because Smollan offers overlapping field sales, merchandising, and POS execution services across multiple geographies that COMBERA operates in within Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/comberagmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/COMBERAGmbH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/combera-gmbh

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 COMBERA