Gerstaecker
Gerstaecker is a German specialty retailer and Europe's self-described largest mail-order business for artist supplies, selling 70,000+ SKUs of paints, brushes, paper, and framing products to professional artists, hobbyists, schools, and bulk buyers via e-commerce, physical stores, and custom framing services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1954
- HeadquartersEitorf, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Gerstaecker does
Gerstaecker (legal entity Johannes GERSTAECKER Verlag GmbH) is a privately held German specialty retailer and mail-order business for art supplies, headquartered in Eitorf, Germany, and self-described as "Europe's largest mail-order business for artist supplies." The company operates a catalog of more than 70,000 SKUs spanning colors, brushes, paper, easels, drawing materials, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, framing, textiles, and creative design — distributed alongside flagship third-party brands (Schmincke, Winsor & Newton, Faber-Castell, Staedtler, Caran d'Ache, Talens, Pébéo, da Vinci, Hahnemühle, Canson, Clairefontaine, Derwent, Copic) and three house brands (GERSTAECKER, I LOVE ART, artist junior). Customers include professional artists, hobbyists, schools and educational users, children, bulk/institutional buyers, and custom framing clients.
The commerce platform is a standard e-commerce storefront (gerstaecker.de plus a parallel Austrian site, gerstaecker.at) with SSL-secured checkout via Saferpay and PayPal, wishlist, customer account management, integrated search filtering, a telephone order hotline, and physical retail support for at least six owned Künstlerfachmärkte locations in Bremen, Dresden, Eitorf, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, and München, with additional Austrian stores. The company supplements core retail with two non-commodity offerings: an in-house custom framing workshop (Rahmenwerkstatt) producing individual frames from 3,000 profile options, and the Gerstaecker Akademie, an experiential education channel offering painting trips (Malreisen) and live art courses (Live-Kurse).
The business model is multi-channel retail: unit-priced e-commerce and in-store sales of branded and private-label art supplies, complemented by project-based framing services and event-driven Akademie revenue. Pricing is displayed in EUR inclusive of 19% or 7% VAT, with promotional campaigns (e.g., Sommeraktion 2026 with over 7,400 promotional offers up to 50% off), a free-shipping threshold of €99 in Germany, no minimum order value, gift vouchers, and a €5 newsletter signup incentive. Marketing is anchored on a content/blog hub, email newsletter, organic social presence on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest, print catalogs, and Trusted Shops trust signals. The firm is privately held with no disclosed parent, investors, or funding rounds.
Gerstaecker firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gerstaecker
- Legal name
- Johannes GERSTAECKER Verlag GmbH
- Website
- https://gerstaecker.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1954
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Gerstaecker is a German specialty retailer and Europe's self-described largest mail-order business for artist supplies, selling 70,000+ SKUs of paints, brushes, paper, and framing products to professional artists, hobbyists, schools, and bulk buyers via e-commerce, physical stores, and custom framing services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gerstaecker industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Supplies Retail
- NAICS
- All Other Miscellaneous Retailers (45999)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hobby & Craft Instructional Books/Patterns Retail (In-store/Physical) (CRALACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing) (CRALACAB), Crafting Machines & Accessories Retail (Die-Cut, Cricut/Silhouette, 3D Pens) (CRALACAK), Craft Storage, Organization & Display Retail (CRALACAJ)
Keywords
Where Gerstaecker is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Eitorf
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Gerstaecker business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Online retail (e-commerce mail-order): Primary revenue stream: direct online sale of 70,000+ art supplies products via the gerstaecker.de shop. One-time transactions with free shipping above €99, multiple payment options (PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay, Apple Pay, invoice, prepayment), and no minimum order value.
- Physical retail stores (Künstlerfachmärkte): Revenue from physical retail store locations in Bremen, Dresden, Eitorf, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, and München, plus an Austrian site referenced via gerstaecker.at. Direct consumer sales of art supplies in-store.
- Custom picture framing service: Professional custom framing service via in-house Rahmenwerkstatt (framing workshop), producing individual picture frames from 3,000 profile options to customer specifications. Project-based professional service revenue.
- Gerstaecker Akademie (painting trips and live courses): Revenue from painting travel experiences (Malreisen) and live art courses offered through the Gerstaecker Akademie. Mix of professional services / managed services revenue tied to event participation.
- Private-label and house brands: Revenue from proprietary house brands GERSTAECKER (full artist supplies range), I LOVE ART (value/budget line for price-conscious artists and beginners), and artist junior (children's line), sold alongside third-party premium brands.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard unit pricing on 70,000+ products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Promotional / Sale pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift voucher / Gutschein |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free shipping threshold |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Gerstaecker product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gerstaecker operates a hybrid click-and-mortar retail business selling over 70,000 art supply SKUs across painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, framing, and creative hobbies. The company runs the gerstaecker.de e-commerce storefront, a parallel Austrian site (gerstaecker.at), and a network of physical Künstlerfachmärkte (artist specialty stores) in six German cities. Beyond retail, Gerstaecker offers a custom picture framing service via its in-house Rahmenwerkstatt, the Gerstaecker Akademie (painting trips and live courses), and a portfolio of private-label brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GERSTAECKER: House brand offering colors, painting and graphic design supplies, canvases, easels, brushes, ceramics and modeling, soapstone and sculpting, printing techniques, and framing products.
- I LOVE ART
- artist junior
Products and services
- Art supplies catalog (Farben, Pinsel, Papier, Staffeleien, Zeichnen, Keramik, Drucktechniken, etc.) Mail-order and in-store retail assortment of 70,000+ artist products spanning acrylics, watercolors, oils, brushes, papers, easels, ceramics, printmaking, framing, and creative hobby supplies. Sourced for professional artists, hobbyists, schools, and bulk buyers.
- Custom picture framing service (Rahmenwerkstatt) In-house custom framing workshop producing individual picture frames built to customer specifications from 3,000 available profile options. Targets custom framing, gallery supply, and restoration customers.
- Gerstaecker Akademie (painting trips and live courses) Painting trips (Malreisen) and live art courses (Live-Kurse) offered through the Gerstaecker Akademie. Targets customers seeking guided, immersive art-learning experiences tied to a trusted art-supply brand.
- Gift voucher (Gutschein) Value-denominated gift certificates (Gutschein) purchasable on the gerstaecker.de platform and redeemable against the company's art supply assortment.
- GERSTAECKER house brand line Proprietary house brand offering a full range of artist supplies across colors, painting and graphic design materials, canvases, easels, brushes, ceramics, modeling, soapstone, sculpting, printing techniques, and framing. Targets professional and hobby artists.
- I LOVE ART house brand line Value-priced private-label brand aimed at price-conscious artists and beginners ('Für preisbewusste Künstler & Einsteiger'). Covers framing, colors, painting surfaces, modeling, brushes, presentation, storage, easels, and drawing materials.
- artist junior house brand line Dedicated private-label brand for children and young artists, offering safe, age-appropriate creative supplies for school painting, craft projects, and hobby classes.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 70,000 art products in the catalog (Über 70.000 Künstlerartikel)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Gerstaecker
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Gerstaecker technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Gerstaecker partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
58 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship brand partner, core brand partner, minor and core infrastructure partner.
- Schminckeflagship brand partnerGerstaecker is a major German retail and mail-order distributor for the full Schmincke range, including Schmincke acrylics (PRIMAcryl, AKADEMIE Acryl Color), watercolors (HORADAM, AKADEMIE), gouache, oil paints (MUSSINI, Norma Professional), linoprint colors, pigments and bronzes, plus the complete Schmincke Hilfsmittel (mediums) line for acrylic, airbrush, watercolor, gouache, oil and pastel.
- Winsor & Newtonflagship brand partnerGerstaecker distributes the full Winsor & Newton assortment — Artists' Oil Colour, Professional Artists' Acrylic, Galeria Acrylic, Cotman and Artist's Water Color watercolors, gouache, ink, water-mixable oils, mediums, brushes, supports, and markers/pens.
- Faber-Castellflagship brand partnerDistribution of the full Faber-Castell art range including Polychromos artists' color pencils, Albrecht Dürer watercolor pencils, Goldfaber, Castell 9000, Pitt artist pens, GRIP, and Faber-Castell accessories.
- Staedtlercore brand partnerDistribution of Staedtler pencils, colored pencils, fineliners, Lumocolor, Mars Lumograph, Noris, pigment liners, metallic markers, and school paints.
- Caran d'Achecore brand partnerDistribution of Caran d'Ache's Swiss-made range including Luminance 6901, PABLO, Museum, Supracolor Soft, Prismalo, Fibralo, Neocolor I/II, and accessories.
- da Vinci (brushes)flagship brand partnerDistribution of the full da Vinci brush range — artists' brushes (acrylic, watercolor, oil, tempera/gouache), specialty brushes, hobby/school brushes, cosmetic brushes, nail-art brushes, dental brushes, and brush accessories.
- Hahnemühleflagship brand partnerDistribution of Hahnemühle fine-art papers — digital fine art, airbrush, watercolor, print, calligraphy, marker, oil/acrylic, pastel, sketchbooks, and drawing papers, plus the Lana Beaux-Arts and Moulin du Coq sub-lines.
- Cansonflagship brand partnerDistribution of Canson papers including 'C' à grain, 1557, watercolor, print, Figueras, photo, Mi-Teintes, Montval, oil/acrylic card, passepartout, sketchbook, transparent, XL, and drawing papers.
- Clairefontaineflagship brand partnerDistribution of Clairefontaine papers — watercolor, craft papers and card, print and photo papers, oil/acrylic paper, card and board, pastel paper, Pollen paper, school and office supplies, sketchbooks, transparent papers, drawing folders, and drawing paper.
- Faber-CASTELL / FIMOcore brand partnerDistribution of FIMO polymer clay product lines — FIMO Modelliermasse, FIMO Professional, FIMO Accessoires, FIMO Kids, FIMO modeling sets, and FIMO air.
- MABEFcore brand partnerDistribution of MABEF easels — academy easels, studio easels, picture easels, field easels, specialty easels, and table easels.
- Bob Rosscore brand partnerDistribution of the Bob Ross line — oil paints, painting sets, mediums, brushes, accessories, and books.
- Talens / Royal Talensflagship brand partnerDistribution of Talens lines including Amsterdam acrylics, Rembrandt and Van Gogh oil and watercolor, Ecoline, gouache, mediums, paint boxes, Pantone, pastels, Talens brushes, and water-mixable oils.
- Derwentcore brand partnerDistribution of Derwent pencils, watercolor pencils and pans, color pencils, markers and graphic fineliners, pastel pencils, charcoal/graphite sticks, and accessories.
- Copiccore brand partnerDistribution of Copic markers (acrea, ciao, classic, sketch), Copic Multiliner, Copic sets, accessories, and Transotype Art Material.
- Pébéocore brand partnerDistribution of Pébéo artist colors — acrylics, watercolor, Colorex ink, varnish, gesso, casting/molding, glass paint, gouache, linoprint, mixed media (Vitrail, Fantasy Prisme/Moon, Ceramic, Studio Acrylics, Gédéo resins), oils, supports, brushes, porcelain/ceramic, silk/fabric, sets, easels, fabric paint pens, structure pastes and gels, and accessories.
- Liquitexcore brand partnerDistribution of Liquitex acrylics, airbrush paint, supports, paint boxes, mediums, paint markers, brushes, spray paint, and structure pastes/gels.
- Daler-Rowneycore brand partnerDistribution of Daler-Rowney System3/Graduate/Simply acrylics, watercolors, printmaking inks, Goldfinger, linoprint, mediums, oils, papers, brushes, structure pastes/gels, inks, and accessories.
- Stabilocore brand partnerDistribution of Stabilo pens and pencils — Arty, CarbOthello pastels, fineliners (point 88), free acrylic pens, fountain pens, ballpoints, Markdry, Pen 68 fiber pens, text markers, Woody color pencils, and accessories.
- Eddingcore brand partnerDistribution of Edding acrylic markers, fineliners and fiber pens, calligraphy markers, paint markers, permanent markers, textile markers, and text markers.
- Maimericore brand partnerDistribution of Maimeri acrylics, watercolors, gouache and tempera, oil paints, and Maimeri painting and auxiliary mediums.
- Lascauxcore brand partnerDistribution of Lascaux color ranges — Aquacryl, Artist, Decora, Resonance, Sirius, Studio Original — plus printmaking accessories, varnishes and fixatives, gouache, primers, mediums, structure pastes/gels, and brushes.
- Lefranc & Bourgeoiscore brand partnerDistribution of Lefranc & Bourgeois (and Charbonnel) acrylics, watercolors, varnishes, glass paint, linoprint, paint boxes, mediums, oils, brushes, tempera/gouache, ink, and gilding.
- Old Hollandcore brand partnerDistribution of Old Holland acrylics, watercolors, varnishes and lacquers, primers, paint boxes, mediums, and oils.
- Senneliercore brand partnerDistribution of Sennelier acrylics, watercolors, egg tempera, fixative/varnish, gesso/primer, gouache, paint boxes, watercolor mediums, oil mediums, oils, oil pastels, paper and pads, pastels, pigments and accessories, and ink/calligraphy.
- Molotowcore brand partnerDistribution of the Molotow line including belton PREMIUM spray paints, Molotow ACTION LINE, Molotow markers (Action Marker, AQUA COLOR BRUSH, Blackliner, CHALK, LIQUID CHROME, ONE4ALL, Sketcher Twin), ONE4ALL Acrylic Spray, URBAN FINE-ART Special, refills, replacement nibs, and empty markers.
- Marabucore brand partnerDistribution of Marabu acrylics, craft paints, glass and porcelain paints, Marabu Graphix, MARABU GREEN, MARABU Mixed Media (Acrylic Color, Acrylic Paste, Acrylic mediums, supports, brushes, tools, Silhouette stencils), Painter & Liner, brushes & tools, spray paints/varnishes/glues, textile and silk paints, YONO markers, MARABU KiDS Little Artist, and MARABU do it.
- IsabeyminorDistribution of Isabey brushes for acrylic, watercolor, oil, and tempera/gouache.
- Rohrer & KlingnerminorDistribution of Rohrer & Klingner watercolor, lithography, etching, writing ink, and drawing ink.
- KreulminorDistribution of Kreul artist paints and mediums, craft and modeling, hobby paints and accessories, markers, and textile paints and mediums.
- uni POSCAminorDistribution of uni-ball Dermatograph 7600, mechanical pencils, Jetstream, correction pens, Prockey, Signo, rollerball/pencils, paint markers, POSCA markers, and POSCA pens and chalk.
- PowertexminorDistribution of Powertex natural materials, books, figures, auxiliaries, pigments and bronzes, stencils, textile hardener, and accessories.
- CleopatreminorDistribution of Cleopâtre colors and brushes, varnishes and lacquers, casting resin, adhesives, supports, and drawing ink.
- Conté à ParisminorDistribution of Conté à Paris pastels and chalks, pencils, charcoal, and drawing accessories.
- CretacolorminorDistribution of Cretacolor graphite, calligraphy, artist pencils, pastels/chalks, charcoal, drawing sets, and accessories.
- Golden (acrylics)minorDistribution of Golden acrylics, watercolors, varnishes and lacquers, gesso/primers, mediums, and modeling pastes/gels.
- StockmarminorDistribution of Stockmar watercolor and wax crayons, primarily for educational and Waldorf-style users.
- Viva Decor / MyDecoWorld / MyPaperWorldminorDistribution of Viva Decor MyDecoWorld paints, glues, structure paints, Zen Pen, Blob Paint, plus MyFashionWorld, MyPaperWorld (paints/pens, stencils/accessories, stamps), MyPardoWorld, and jewelry accessories.
- BlockxminorDistribution of Blockx extra-fine Excellence acrylics and Blockx acrylic mediums/glazing mediums.
- Honsell / JAX artcompanyminorDistribution of Honsell canvases, JAX brushes, easels, drawing and graphic-design supplies, and calligraphy/ink supplies.
- GiottominorDistribution of Giotto colored pencils, fiber pens, painting accessories, markers, modeling clay, school paints, fabric pens, chalk, tempera, and wax crayons.
- JollyminorDistribution of Jolly watercolor pencils, pencils, colored pencils, poster paint and brushes, fiber pens, chalk, and wax crayons.
- Koh-I-NoorminorDistribution of Koh-I-Noor watercolor pencils, pencils/graphite, lead refills, mechanical pencils/lead holders, color pencils, markers/fineliners, erasers, watercolors, charcoal, drawing sets, drawing pencils, and accessories.
- Tri-ArtminorDistribution of Tri-Art New Foundations Studio Acrylics.
- Speedball / Speedball Art ProductsminorDistribution of Speedball printmaking supplies.
- Borciani e BonazziminorDistribution of Borciani e Bonazzi brushes.
- FabrianominorDistribution of Fabriano acrylic/oil paper, watercolor paper, print paper, pastel paper, sketchbooks, construction card, and drawing paper.
- SakuraminorDistribution of Sakura products including the Koi Coloring Brush Pen line (61 colors available).
- SchöllershammerminorDistribution of Schöllershammer paper products.
- DPD (logistics)core infrastructure partnerListed on the gerstaecker.de checkout page as a Versandpartner (shipping partner) used for order fulfillment.
- UPS (logistics)core infrastructure partnerListed on the gerstaecker.de checkout page as a Versandpartner (shipping partner) used for order fulfillment.
- DHL (logistics)core infrastructure partnerListed on the gerstaecker.de checkout page as a Versandpartner (shipping partner) used for order fulfillment.
- PayPalcore infrastructure partnerPayPal is integrated as a payment method on the gerstaecker.de checkout (Saferpay also referenced for secure payments).
- Saferpaycore infrastructure partnerReferenced as the secure payment infrastructure ('Sicher einkaufen mit Saferpay') used during checkout on gerstaecker.de.
- Trusted Shopscore infrastructure partnerTrusted Shops SSL certificate seals the online shop and signals customer/data security throughout the shopping experience.
- Edition Michael Fischer (EMF)minorListed as a publishing partner brand within the Gerstaecker Books category (Christophorus Verlag / Edition Michael Fischer), offering how-to art books sold alongside art supplies.
- Christophorus VerlagminorListed as a publishing partner brand within the Gerstaecker Books category, offering creative craft and art how-to books.
- TOPP / TOPP Bücher (Frech Verlag)minorTOPP Bücher (a Frech Verlag imprint) listed as a publishing partner brand within the Gerstaecker Books category.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gerstaecker competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cass Art: UK specialty art-supplies retailer combining e-commerce with a chain of physical stores — a direct omnichannel comparable to Gerstaecker's hybrid model.
- Jackson's Art Supplies: UK-based mail-order and online art-supplies retailer with deep professional and hobby artist assortment — the closest direct European peer to Gerstaecker's mail-order business model.
- Kremer Pigmente: German manufacturer-retailer of artist pigments, binders, and historic painting materials with a strong online mail-order presence — overlaps with Gerstaecker's professional pigments and traditional-materials assortment.
- Modulor: Berlin-based specialist for creative and design supplies with a large e-commerce catalog and physical showroom — comparable in assortment breadth and professional/hobby customer mix.
- Boesner: German art-supplies retailer (and wholesaler) with both online and physical stores carrying premium brands — direct German-headquartered competitor in the same customer segments.
Others
- Sennelier: French premium art-materials manufacturer — both a Gerstaecker distribution partner and a heritage manufacturer with its own direct retail, providing vertical-integration comparison.
- Royal Talens (Talens): Dutch premium art-materials manufacturer (Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Amsterdam, Ecoline) — both a flagship supplier to Gerstaecker and a vertically integrated peer with its own distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Michaels: North America's largest specialty arts, crafts, and framing retailer with strong private-label brands — broader incumbent directly comparable to Gerstaecker's framing service and house-brand strategy.
- Hobby Lobby: Large US craft and art-supplies chain with broad hobby assortment — broader incumbent comparable on retail scale and category breadth, though operating a different format and geography.
- Blick Art Materials (Dick Blick): Largest US specialty art-supplies retailer with deep catalog and omnichannel distribution — a broader incumbent comparable in scale and assortment, though operating primarily in North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights8 records
Customer concentration
Gerstaecker social profiles
Digital presenceGerstaecker financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gerstaecker leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Gerstaecker funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gerstaecker M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gerstaecker
What does Gerstaecker do?
Gerstaecker operates a hybrid click-and-mortar retail business selling over 70,000 art supply SKUs across painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, framing, and creative hobbies. The company runs the gerstaecker.de e-commerce storefront, a parallel Austrian site (gerstaecker.at), and a network of physical Künstlerfachmärkte (artist specialty stores) in six German cities. Beyond retail, Gerstaecker offers a custom picture framing service via its in-house Rahmenwerkstatt, the Gerstaecker Akademie (painting trips and live courses), and a portfolio of private-label brands.
Is Gerstaecker a public or private company?
Gerstaecker is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Gerstaecker founded?
Gerstaecker was founded in 1954. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Gerstaecker based?
Gerstaecker is headquartered in Eitorf, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Gerstaecker make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Online retail (e-commerce mail-order) is the primary driver. The others are physical retail stores (Künstlerfachmärkte), custom picture framing service, gerstaecker Akademie (painting trips and live courses) and private-label and house brands.
Who are Gerstaecker's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cass Art, Jackson's Art Supplies, Kremer Pigmente, Modulor and Boesner. Others are Sennelier and Royal Talens (Talens). Broad incumbents are Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Blick Art Materials (Dick Blick).
Does Gerstaecker have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gerstaecker.
What industry is Gerstaecker in?
Gerstaecker's product category is Art Supplies Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALACAL, Hobby & Craft Instructional Books/Patterns Retail (In-store/Physical), with a secondary code of CRALACAB, Fine Art Materials Retail (Paint, Canvas, Drawing). Its NAICS code is 45999 and its SIC code is 5945.