PFEIFFER und MAY SE
PFEIFFER und MAY SE is a privately held German SHK (sanitary, heating, climate) wholesale group operating 46 bathroom showrooms across 42 cities in Southern Germany, serving trade craftsmen (Fachhandwerker) with products, consultation, and referral to installation partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1906
- HeadquartersKarlsruhe, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PFEIFFER und MAY SE does
PFEIFFER und MAY SE is a privately held German sanitary, heating, and climate (SHK-Großhandel) wholesale distribution group headquartered in Germany and operating under the umbrella "PFEIFFER & MAY Gruppe." The group serves trade craftsmen (Fachhandwerker) — plumbers, installers, and bathroom fitters — across six German states (Saarland, Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Bayern, Thüringen, Hessen) through 46 bathroom exhibition (Badausstellung) locations spanning 42 cities. Multiple regional brands operate within the Gruppe, including PFEIFFER & MAY, LINK, LINSS, LÖFFELHARDT, and Bagno e Vino, each retaining legacy identity while sharing centralized services through wholly-owned subsidiaries such as P&M Digitale Dienste GmbH.
The product and service portfolio spans bathroom fixtures and furniture, tiles, heating and solar systems, ventilation and climate control, photovoltaics, kitchen faucets, and installation/building technology. Distribution is operated through a B2B online portal (online.pfeiffer-may.de) for trade customers, supplemented by physical showrooms that serve end customers via consultation and referral to qualified craftsmen. Supporting digital tools include a 3D bathroom planner (3D-Badplaner, powered by palettehome.de) and a Spotimpulse online discovery tool for browsing bathroom concepts, alongside dedicated news blogs and social media channels targeted separately at trade professionals and end consumers. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; the business is fundamentally a physical wholesale network augmented by light digital tooling.
The business model is wholesale product sales to trade craftsmen on a quote-based, transaction-fee pricing structure, complemented by a referral/service linkage that connects end customers visiting showrooms with vetted installation partners. The corporate structure is an SE (Societas Europaea) with regional GmbH and GmbH + Co. KG subsidiaries, and a PFEIFFER & MAY Stiftung signals corporate social responsibility activities. Revenue, headcount, and ownership disclosures are not available in the source material.
PFEIFFER und MAY SE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PFEIFFER und MAY SE
- Legal name
- PFEIFFER und MAY SE
- Website
- https://badimpulse.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1906
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- PFEIFFER und MAY SE is a privately held German SHK (sanitary, heating, climate) wholesale group operating 46 bathroom showrooms across 42 cities in Southern Germany, serving trade craftsmen (Fachhandwerker) with products, consultation, and referral to installation partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where PFEIFFER und MAY SE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Karlsruhe
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices42 records
Markets served
PFEIFFER und MAY SE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Wholesale Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling sanitary, heating, tiles, and installation products to trade craftsmen (Fachhandwerker). Products include fixtures, bathtubs, showers, furniture, tiles, heating systems, solar, PV, ventilation, kitchen faucets, and installation hardware.
- Trade Craftsmanship Services: The company connects end customers with qualified trade craftsmen from their network who provide installation and renovation services. While the company itself operates as wholesale, this referral/network service enables the complete transaction lifecycle.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Small bathroom renovations starting price range |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | High-quality complete bathrooms |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
PFEIFFER und MAY SE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PFEIFFER und MAY SE operates as a German SHK (sanitary, heating, climate) wholesale group serving trade craftsmen (Fachhandwerker) and end customers across Southern Germany. The core offering is the wholesale supply of bathroom, heating, tile, ventilation, photovoltaic, and building-technology products combined with 46 physical bathroom exhibition showrooms used for consultation, inspiration, and connection to qualified installation craftsmen.
Product overview
PFEIFFER & MAY SE operates as an SHK (Sanitär, Heizung, Klima - sanitary, heating, climate) wholesale distribution group serving South Germany. The company offers a unified platform of physical bathroom showrooms (46 locations across 42 cities) combined with digital services including an online B2B portal, 3D bathroom planner, and Spotimpulse discovery tool. The product portfolio spans bathroom products (fixtures, bathtubs, showers, furniture), tiles, heating and solar systems, building technology installation, ventilation and climate control, photovoltaics, and kitchen fixtures. The group includes subsidiary sub-brands (Bagno e Vino, LINK, LINSS, LÖFFELHARDT) each operating dedicated showrooms, while serving end customers through specialized trade partners (Fachhandwerker).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Spotimpulse: Online tool for discovering bathroom booths and researching specific products
- 3D-Badplaner
Products and services
- Badausstellungen (Bathroom Showrooms) Physical showroom locations where customers can experience bathroom designs, receive expert consultation, and explore products including fixtures, bathtubs, showers, furniture, and other bathroom elements. The company operates 46 showrooms across Southern Germany.
- Badezimmer (Bathroom Products) Complete bathroom products and solutions including fixtures, fittings, and accessories for bathroom renovation and new construction projects, supplied wholesale to trade craftsmen and end customers.
- Fliesen (Tiles) Tile products for bathrooms and other areas, with dedicated tile showrooms operated by the LÖFFELHARDT subsidiary brand.
- Heizung & Solar (Heating & Solar) Heating systems and solar energy solutions for residential and commercial buildings, supplied wholesale to trade craftsmen.
- Installation & Haustechnik (Installation & Building Technology) Building technology and installation products for plumbing and technical building infrastructure, supplied wholesale to trade craftsmen.
- Lüftung & Klima (Ventilation & Climate) Ventilation and air conditioning solutions for residential and commercial spaces, supplied wholesale to trade craftsmen.
- Photovoltaik (Photovoltaics) Solar panel and photovoltaic systems for generating electricity from sunlight, supplied wholesale to trade craftsmen.
- Küchenarmaturen und Spültischarmaturen (Kitchen and Sink Faucets) Kitchen faucets and sink fixtures for kitchen installations, supplied wholesale to trade craftsmen.
- B2B Online Portal B2B online portal for trade craftsmen to access products, place orders, and manage accounts at online.pfeiffer-may.de.
- 3D-Badplaner (3D Bathroom Planner) Interactive online 3D bathroom planning tool allowing customers to design and visualize their new bathroom layouts before purchase.
- Spotimpulse Online Tool Online tool for discovering bathroom concepts and exploring specific products digitally before purchase.
Companies that use PFEIFFER und MAY SE
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
PFEIFFER und MAY SE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
PFEIFFER und MAY SE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Qualified Trade Craftsmen Network (Fachhandwerker)corePFEIFFER & MAY works closely with qualified trade craftsmen from the region who provide installation services. The company recommends partner craftsmen to end customers and maintains an extensive network for bathroom renovation projects.
- LINK GmbH + Co. KGcoreAffiliated partner company operating bathroom exhibitions under the LINK brand at multiple locations (Karlsruhe, Rastatt, Villingen-Schwenningen). Part of the PFEIFFER & MAY Gruppe with shared branding.
- LINSScoreAffiliated partner company operating bathroom and tile exhibitions under the LINSS brand at multiple locations (Fulda-Künzell, Gotha, Kassel). Part of the PFEIFFER & MAY Gruppe with shared branding.
- LÖFFELHARDT GmbHcoreAffiliated partner company operating bathroom and tile exhibitions under the LÖFFELHARDT brand at multiple locations (Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Ilsfeld, Karlsruhe). Part of the PFEIFFER & MAY Gruppe with shared branding.
- Bagno e VinominorPartner bathroom exhibition located at Waldstraße. Specialized showroom concept under the PFEIFFER & MAY Gruppe umbrella.
- Leading ManufacturerscorePFEIFFER & MAY presents products from leading manufacturers in their showrooms, alongside their own brands (Eigenmarken). These manufacturer partnerships enable a comprehensive product range for trade craftsmen customers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PFEIFFER und MAY SE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BayWa Baustoffe: Building materials division of BayWa AG serving trade craftsmen across Bavaria and South Germany; comparable as a southern-German distribution incumbent overlapping on tiles, sanitary, and renewable-energy product categories.
- EUROBAUSTOFF: German building materials and DIY cooperative with a broad assortment including sanitary, tiles, and installation; comparable as an alternative distribution channel for trade craftsmen and end-customers, though spanning a wider product scope than PFEIFFER & MAY.
- GC Group (Großhandels Contor): Head of the GC Group, the largest SHK-Großhandel network in Germany; a broader incumbent that owns multiple regional SHK wholesalers (including Cordes & Graefe) and represents an aggregated competitive force versus PFEIFFER & MAY's regional roll-up.
Direct peers
- Richter+Frenzel: One of Germany's largest SHK-Großhandel (sanitary, heating, climate) wholesalers with a multi-regional showroom and trade-craftsman model closely mirroring PFEIFFER & MAY's go-to-market, including bathroom exhibition centers serving installers.
- BTI Befestigungstechnik: German trade wholesaler with showrooms and a strong craftsman-facing distribution model spanning sanitary, heating, and installation products; comparable in the trade-only wholesale positioning and showroom-based customer acquisition approach.
- Cordes & Graefe: Part of the GC Group, Cordes & Graefe is a major German SHK wholesaler with showroom concepts and trade-craftsman-focused distribution; directly comparable in product mix (sanitary, heating, installation) and B2B channel structure.
- ZEG Zentraleinkauf Sanitär-Heizung: German SHK cooperative wholesaler serving independent sanitary/heating/climate trade partners across multiple regions; comparable as a competing wholesale distribution platform supplying Fachhandwerker with the same product categories.
- Alexander Bürkle: German technical building services and SHK wholesaler with regional showrooms and a Fachhandwerker customer base; comparable as a multi-region sanitary/heating wholesale competitor targeting the same trade-craftsman end-customer flow.
Emerging players
- Sonepar Deutschland: Germany's leading electrical wholesale distribution group; an emerging adjacent distributor that increasingly overlaps with installation and building-technology categories PFEIFFER & MAY addresses via its Haustechnik line.
Regional players
- Hager & Elsässer: Regional SHK wholesaler with strong roots in Baden-Württemberg and surrounding areas; comparable as a regionally focused sanitary/heating competitor operating in some of the same South German markets as PFEIFFER & MAY.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PFEIFFER und MAY SE social profiles
Digital presencePFEIFFER und MAY SE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PFEIFFER und MAY SE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PFEIFFER und MAY SE subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
PFEIFFER und MAY SE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PFEIFFER und MAY SE 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 PFEIFFER und MAY SE
What does PFEIFFER und MAY SE do?
PFEIFFER und MAY SE operates as a German SHK (sanitary, heating, climate) wholesale group serving trade craftsmen (Fachhandwerker) and end customers across Southern Germany. The core offering is the wholesale supply of bathroom, heating, tile, ventilation, photovoltaic, and building-technology products combined with 46 physical bathroom exhibition showrooms used for consultation, inspiration, and connection to qualified installation craftsmen.
Is PFEIFFER und MAY SE a public or private company?
PFEIFFER und MAY SE is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was PFEIFFER und MAY SE founded?
PFEIFFER und MAY SE was founded in 1906. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is PFEIFFER und MAY SE based?
PFEIFFER und MAY SE is headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does PFEIFFER und MAY SE make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are trade Craftsmanship Services.
Who are PFEIFFER und MAY SE's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BayWa Baustoffe, EUROBAUSTOFF and GC Group (Großhandels Contor). Direct peers are Richter+Frenzel, BTI Befestigungstechnik, Cordes & Graefe, ZEG Zentraleinkauf Sanitär-Heizung and Alexander Bürkle. Sonepar Deutschland is listed as an emerging player. Hager & Elsässer is listed as a regional player.
Does PFEIFFER und MAY SE have an API?
No public API is recorded for PFEIFFER und MAY SE.