Maus Freres

What Maus Freres does

Maus Frères SA is a privately held Swiss family retail conglomerate headquartered in Geneva, founded in 1902 through a partnership between Léon Nordmann and brothers Ernest and Henri Maus. Originally a multi-department retailer specializing in textiles, notions, and knitwear in Lucerne, the company evolved over four generations of Maus and Nordmann family stewardship into a diversified portfolio spanning department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, fashion and sportswear brands, and shopping centers. Its portfolio is organized into Swiss domestic operations—the Manor department store chain, Manor Food supermarkets, Manora restaurants, Jumbo DIY hypermarkets, and shopping centers—and the international MF Brands group, comprising Lacoste, Gant, Aigle, Tecnifibre, and The Kooples, each distributed globally through owned retail, wholesale, and franchise channels including DEVANLAY's worldwide textile license for Lacoste.

Name

Maus Freres

Legal name

Maus Frères SA

Website

https://maus.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maus Frères is a privately held Swiss family conglomerate founded in 1902, operating domestic Manor department stores, Manor Food supermarkets, and Manora restaurants alongside a global portfolio of fashion and sportswear brands including Lacoste, Gant, Aigle, Tecnifibre, and The Kooples, serving broad consumer markets in Switzerland and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Department Store Retail

NAICS

General Merchandise Retailers (455), Management of Companies and Enterprises (55111), Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers (449)

SIC

Retail-Department Stores (5311)

akta.pro primary industry

Flagship Luxury Department Stores (CRAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Luxury Licensing & Brand Management (CRAKAFAL)

Keywords

• Department store retail
• Family-owned conglomerate
• Sportswear brand management
• Supermarket operations
• Fashion retail distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Distribution and Brand Management: Revenue generated through ownership and operation of retail brands and store chains including department stores (Manor), supermarkets (Manor Food), restaurants (Manora), and international fashion/sportswear brands (Lacoste, Gant, Aigle, The Kooples, Tecnifibre). Also includes licensing arrangements and franchise operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels11 records

Core offering

Maus Frères is a Swiss family-owned holding company that owns and operates a diversified portfolio of retail brands, including department stores (Manor), supermarkets (Manor Food), restaurants (Manora), and international fashion and sportswear brands (Lacoste, Gant, Aigle, The Kooples, Tecnifibre), as well as Jumbo hypermarket/DIY stores. The conglomerate manages retail distribution and brand ownership across Switzerland and international markets.

Product overview

Maus Frères is a Swiss family retail conglomerate organized as a holding company, managing a diversified portfolio of retail brands across department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, sportswear, outdoor apparel, and specialty sports equipment. The portfolio is divided into Swiss brands (Manor, Manor Food, Manora) and international MF brands group (Lacoste, Gant, Aigle, Tecnifibre, The Kooples), along with shopping centers. The group operates primarily in retail distribution and brand management, having transformed from its 1902 department store origins into a multi-brand conglomerate spanning Switzerland and international markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Manor: Department store chain operating in Switzerland
• Manor Food
• Manora
• Lacoste
• Gant
• Aigle
• Tecnifibre
• The Kooples
• Jumbo
• Athleticum

Products and services

• Manor Department store chain and flagship retail brand of Maus Frères in Switzerland, offering a wide range of textiles, apparel, household goods, and general merchandise under one roof.
• Manor Food Supermarket chain operated under the Manor brand, offering food and daily necessities to general consumers.
• Manora Independent restaurant chain associated with Manor department stores, offering seasonal products and dining services.
• Lacoste Internationally recognized sportswear and lifestyle brand specializing in apparel and accessories with the iconic crocodile logo.
• Gant Swedish sportswear brand offering clothing and accessories distributed internationally through owned stores and franchise partners.
• Aigle French outdoor and sporting clothingwear and accessories brand with global distribution.
• Tecnifibre Specialist brand in tennis and squash strings and rackets with worldwide distribution.
• The Kooples Affordable city luxury fashion brand for men and women with international retail presence.
• Jumbo Hypermarket and do-it-yourself store chain in Switzerland specializing in DIY and home improvement products.
• Fly Switzerland Switzerland franchise of Fly lifestyle furniture and furnishings store chain.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Decathlon SwitzerlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Decathlon Switzerland acquired majority shareholding in ATHLETICUM, the sporting goods megastore chain. Maus Frères retained a stake before fully divesting in 2022.
• Eboutic / Vente-Privée.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2011Acquisition of majority shareholding in EBOUTIC private sales online platform in 2011. Sale of 51% of EBOUTIC shares to vente-privee.com in 2016, with remaining stake divested in 2022.
• DEVANLAYcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 1998DEVANLAY holds the global worldwide textile license for creation, manufacturing and distribution. This is a key licensing partnership for the Lacoste brand globally.
• CarrefourminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 199850/50 joint venture for hypermarket chain operations in Switzerland. This partnership was later divested as Carrefour Switzerland was sold.
• ParashopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1996Parashop chain of parapharmacy stores acquired for operations in France and Italy.
• PHILIAS FoundationcoreOthersFounding member of the PHILIAS Foundation, a Swiss CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) institution. Maus Frères SA is committed to practicing principles of corporate social responsibility through this foundation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PVH Corp:
• Kering: Publicly listed luxury holding company (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta). Comparable brand-portfolio operating model with premium fashion brands distributed globally.
• Nordstrom: US-listed premium department store chain with integrated food service and digital channels. A scaled, broader public-market analog of Manor's department-store-plus-services model, though more digitally mature.
• Capri Holdings: Multi-brand premium fashion holding (Michael Kors, Versace, Jimmy Choo). Comparable as a publicly listed multi-brand fashion holding company with global distribution.
• LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton): Global multi-brand luxury conglomerate managing dozens of premium fashion, leather goods, and lifestyle brands. Comparable as a brand-management holding model; far larger and more diversified than Maus Frères' MF Brands Group but architecturally similar.

Direct peers

• Galeries Lafayette: French family-owned department store chain and retail holding company operating flagship stores and a multi-brand portfolio (including own-brand fashion). Directly comparable to Maus Frères as a long-standing family-controlled department store and brand conglomerate serving European consumers.
• Selfridges Group: Owner of premium department stores (Selfridges UK, Holt Renfrew Canada, Brown Thomas Ireland). Comparable to Maus Frères as a multi-region department store operator with premium positioning and an international footprint.
• El Corte Inglés: Spain's largest department store group, family-controlled, combining department stores with supermarkets, restaurants, and adjacent services. Closely mirrors Maus Frères' Manor/Manor Food/Manora integrated retail model within a single national market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Maus Freres