What Engelhorn does

Engelhorn is a German multi-category retail group headquartered in Mannheim, founded in 1890 and operating as a family-controlled private company under the legal entity Engelhorn GmbH & Co. KGaA. The group runs eight coordinated entities covering fashion, sport, luxury, restaurants, shops, and shared logistics, with a headcount in the 1,001–5,000 range. The core business is omnichannel retail of branded apparel, footwear, accessories, and sporting goods, combining a Salesforce Commerce Cloud-powered e-commerce platform (engelhorn.de) with multiple physical retail "Häuser" in Mannheim.

Product surface spans fashion (women's and men's clothing, shoes, accessories), sport (running, cycling, outdoor, fitness, tennis, winter, football, basketball, yoga), and luxury (Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, Moncler, Balenciaga, Miu Miu, MCM, Zegna). The Engelhorn Card loyalty program links stores, restaurants, and the online shop, with a co-branded Luxembourg variant operated through the GRIDX Engelhorn S.A. joint venture. Distribution is primarily domestic with international shipping to Austria, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Revenue is generated through one-time merchandise sales (B2C and small-business transactions) with transactional pricing, a €1.95 return fee effective March 2025, and free shipping for orders over €200. The technology stack is built almost entirely on third-party SaaS: Salesforce Commerce Cloud for e-commerce, BSI Customer Suite for CRM/loyalty, Zendesk and Enterprise Bot for customer support, Unzer/payolution for payments, and DHL/ComTrans/parcelLab for logistics. Marketing relies on email, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, WhatsApp), and paid performance channels (Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, Meta Pixel/Audiences). No proprietary AI, no patents, and no funding rounds are disclosed in the source data, consistent with a privately held, legacy retailer operating on standard industry tooling.

Name

Engelhorn

Legal name

Engelhorn GmbH & Co. KGaA

Website

https://engelhorn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Engelhorn is a privately held German multi-category retailer founded in 1890, headquartered in Mannheim, operating fashion, sport, and luxury branded goods through its online shop and physical retail stores, serving end consumers in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multibrand fashion and lifestyle retail

NAICS

Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458), Sporting Goods Retailers (459110), Shoe Retailers (45821)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter Sports (Ski/Snowboard) Retail (CRAMABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD), Gloves & Mittens (CRAAAJAG)

Keywords

• Multibrand fashion retail
• Sports equipment retail
• Luxury fashion retail
• E-commerce fashion store
• Department store retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Mannheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Merchandise Sales: Retail sale of fashion apparel, sports equipment, shoes, accessories, and luxury goods through online shop and physical retail stores.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Engelhorn is a German multi-category retailer selling women's and men's fashion apparel, footwear, and accessories; sportswear and sports equipment for running, cycling, tennis, outdoor, fitness, winter sports, yoga and more; and luxury designer goods from brands such as Gucci, Prada, Saint Laurent, Moncler, Balenciaga, Miu Miu, MCM, and Zegna. Distribution is via the online shop engelhorn.de and physical multi-department stores in Mannheim, complemented by gift cards, the Engelhorn Card loyalty program, in-store restaurants (Engelhorn Gastro), Click & Meet shopping appointments, and a personal Stilberater styling service.

Product overview

Engelhorn operates a multi-category German e-commerce platform combining fashion, sports, and luxury retail. The core Engelhorn Online Shop offers women's and men's clothing, shoes, accessories, sports equipment, and luxury designer goods organized by category (Fashion, Sport, Luxury) and sport type. Supporting products include gift cards (Gutscheine), the Engelhorn Card loyalty program, and Engelhorn x GRIDX-Karte for Luxembourg. Service features include Click & Meet in-store appointments, Stilberater personal styling, WhatsApp customer support, and email newsletter. The platform integrates multiple payment providers (PayPal, Amazon Pay, Apple Pay, credit card via Unzer, payolution invoice) and shipping partners (DHL, ComTrans, parcelLab) to enable complete e-commerce operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Engelhorn Card: Loyalty program card offered by engelhorn for collecting and redeeming loyalty points
• engelhorn x GRIDX

Products and services

• Engelhorn Online Shop (engelhorn.de) German e-commerce platform serving customers in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and Netherlands, offering fashion, sport, and luxury goods categories with multiple payment methods and shipping options.
• Physical Engelhorn Retail Stores (Häuser) Brick-and-mortar department-style stores ('engelhorn Häuser') concentrated in the Mannheim area, providing in-person shopping for fashion, sports, and luxury products with attached restaurants.
• Gutscheine (Engelhorn Gift Cards and Vouchers) Stored-value gift cards and online vouchers that customers can purchase and redeem for merchandise at engelhorn.de and in physical stores.
• Engelhorn Card Loyalty Program Loyalty program membership enabling customers to collect and redeem bonus points on purchases made in engelhorn stores, restaurants, and online shop, managed via the BSI Customer Suite platform.
• engelhorn x GRIDX Card (Luxembourg co-branded loyalty card) Joint loyalty card with GRIDX Engelhorn S.A. valid exclusively in Luxembourg, providing bonus point collection and redemption for Luxembourg-resident customers.
• Engelhorn Gastro (Restaurant and Hospitality Operations) Restaurant operations within engelhorn physical stores, offering food and beverage service to in-store shoppers and integrated with the Engelhorn Card loyalty program.
• Click & Meet (In-store Shopping Appointment Service) Bookable in-store shopping appointment service allowing customers to reserve dedicated shopping time at physical engelhorn locations.
• Stilberater (Style Advisor Personal Styling Service) Personal styling consultation service offering expert advice on fashion and outfit selection via the info.engelhorn.de website.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration30 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• payolution GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing partner for buy-now-pay-later and invoice payment services. Handles credit checks and payment processing for customers choosing invoice payment options.
• Unzer E-Com GmbH / Unzer Payment Solution GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationCredit card payment processing and invoice payment solutions including collection management and credit risk handling.
• Salesforce (CQuotient, Commerce Cloud)coreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform (Salesforce Commerce) and personalization/analytics tools for product recommendations and customer behavior tracking.
• BSI Business Systems Integration AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationNewsletter delivery service provider and loyalty program CRM system (BSI Customer Suite) for customer relationship management.
• GRIDX Engelhorn S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for loyalty program in Luxembourg. engelhorn x GRIDX card valid exclusively in Luxembourg. Engelhorn GmbH & Co. KGaA operates as primary contact for data protection matters.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Breuninger: German multi-channel premium fashion and lifestyle retailer headquartered in Stuttgart. Operates both physical flagship stores and a strong e-commerce platform carrying luxury and designer brands — the closest direct comparable to Engelhorn in terms of premium positioning and omnichannel model.
• SportScheck: German sporting goods multi-channel retailer offering apparel, equipment, and footwear across multiple sport categories. Highly comparable to Engelhorn's sport division in category structure and German market focus.
• Mytheresa: Munich-based luxury online fashion retailer offering curated designer brands including Gucci, Prada, and Saint Laurent. Direct competitor for Engelhorn's luxury segment, particularly in the online channel.
• Engelbert Strauss: German workwear and sportswear brand and retailer with strong direct-to-consumer online and B2B presence. Comparable to Engelhorn in German sports/work apparel focus with multi-channel operations.

Broad incumbents

• Zalando: Europe's largest online fashion platform, headquartered in Berlin. Competes with Engelhorn's online shop on fashion and sports apparel, and sets industry standards on return policies and customer experience that Engelhorn must match.
• Otto: Hamburg-based German multi-category retailer offering fashion, sports, and lifestyle products online. Broader scale than Engelhorn but overlapping assortment and target customer in DACH market.
• Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof: Germany's largest department store chain. Overlaps with Engelhorn's multi-category fashion/sport/luxury positioning in physical retail, though currently undergoing restructuring that may benefit family-owned competitors.
• Intersport: Global sporting goods retail cooperative with strong German presence. Competes with Engelhorn's sports equipment and athletic footwear categories through a broader specialist network.

Regional players

• Kastner & Öhler: Austrian family-owned department store chain offering fashion, sports, and lifestyle products. Comparable to Engelhorn in mid-size multi-category positioning, with geographic focus on Austria rather than Germany.

Emerging players

• About You: Hamburg-based digital fashion retailer with strong personalization capabilities. Competes with Engelhorn's online shop particularly in younger demographics and athletic/casual fashion categories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbMPge4brrgLfD7xU_RERag
• Facebookfacebook.com/engelhorn.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/engelhornmode

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Engelhorn