Arbeitsschutz-Express

What Arbeitsschutz-Express does

Arbeitsschutz-Express GmbH (ASX / ASX.eu) is a German online retailer of occupational safety, workwear, and personal protective equipment (PPE), founded in 1983 in Leipheim by Georg Wiedemann and now operating as a subsidiary of BUNZL plc. The company's storefront at asx.eu aggregates over 300,000 SKUs from more than 60 brands — including Snickers Workwear, Helly Hansen, Solid Gear, HKS, New Balance, Fristads, BAAK, Reebok, PKA, Daiber, and Hultafors — across safety footwear (S3, S3S, S1P classifications), work jackets, trousers, shorts, dungarees, and broader PPE. Recent category emphasis is on premium safety footwear featuring BOA closure systems, nano toe caps, double midsoles, and barefoot-feeling technology, sold alongside workwear apparel bundles with corporate-personalization options.

The business operates a hybrid B2B/B2C model: business customers ("Geschäftskunden") transact at net prices and are eligible for credit-checked corporate-account terms plus logo-personalization services, while private customers ("Privatkunden") transact at gross (VAT-inclusive) prices. Revenue is generated entirely through direct product sales on the ASX online store, supplemented by phone-based sales support and a published loyalty program. Distribution is DACH-centric with EU-wide shipping capability; next-day delivery is offered on select SKUs, free shipping is triggered above €300 order value, and free return shipping is restricted to Germany. Marketing channels include an SEO-optimized storefront, an owned blog (blog.asx.eu), and a high-frequency email newsletter program (up to five sends per week) carrying a €5 coupon incentive.

The technology stack described in the source data is conventional e-commerce: product discovery is enabled by name, article-number, and EAN/GTIN search; no proprietary platform, API surface, mobile app, or AI/ML capability is disclosed. The company employs 51–100 staff and serves the German trades, industry, construction, and services workforce as its primary professional segment, with private consumers as a secondary segment.

Name

Arbeitsschutz-Express

Legal name

Arbeitsschutz-Express GmbH

Website

https://arbeitsschutz-express.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arbeitsschutz-Express (ASX.eu) is a German online retailer founded in 1983 and owned by BUNZL plc, selling 300,000+ workwear and PPE SKUs from 60+ brands to trades, industry, construction, and services professionals across the DACH region via a B2B/B2C e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workwear and Personal Protective Equipment Retail

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Workwear, Uniform & Protective Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories) (IMAOAFAH)

Keywords

• Workwear retail
• Safety footwear
• Personal protective equipment
• Occupational safety supplies
• Industrial workwear

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Workwear & Safety Equipment: ASX generates revenue through direct product sales of workwear, occupational safety equipment (PSA), and personal protective equipment. The company offers over 300,000 products from 60+ top brands including Snickers Workwear, Helly Hansen, Solid Gear, HKS, New Balance, Fristads, and others. Revenue comes from both retail (B2C) and business (B2C without VAT) customer segments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Arbeitsschutz-Express (ASX) is a German e-commerce retailer selling workwear, occupational safety equipment (PSA), and personal protective equipment (PPE) from more than 60 brands including Snickers Workwear, Helly Hansen, Solid Gear, HKS, New Balance, Fristads, Mascot, BAAK, PKA, Reebok, Daiber, and Hultafors. The catalog comprises over 300,000 products covering safety shoes, work jackets, trousers, and specialized protective gear aimed at trades, construction, industry, and service-sector workers. ASX operates solely online at asx.eu with phone-based sales support and ships throughout Germany and the DACH region.

Product overview

ASX (Arbeitsschutz-Express GmbH) operates as an e-commerce platform offering over 300,000 workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE) products from 60+ top brands including Solid Gear, Helly Hansen, HKS, New Balance, BAAK, PKA, Reebok, and others. The platform serves both private customers (with VAT) and business customers (without VAT), providing workwear for professionals in trades, industry, construction, and services. Key product lines include safety footwear (SOLID GEAR Sonar, HKS Barefoot-Feeling, New Balance Cremorne, BAAK Randy & Ray), workwear clothing (Helly Hansen Oxford series, PKA hybrid jackets), and PSA (Personal Protective Equipment). Services include a logo service for corporate branding, loyalty program, next-day delivery options, free return shipping, and various payment methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Balance Cremorne Series Safety footwear line from New Balance Work, including the New Balance Cremorne BOA alloy in green, priced at €170 (gross) / €142.86 (net). Targeted at industrial and trades professionals requiring certified safety shoes.
• Helly Hansen Oxford Series Workwear collection from Helly Hansen, including the Oxford Shell Jacket priced at €149.90 (gross) / €125.97 (net), designed for construction and outdoor industrial use.
• HKS Barefoot-Feeling Series Barefoot-feel safety footwear from HKS, including the HKS Barefoot-Feeling 4112 S3, priced at €160 (gross) / €134.45 (net), targeted at workers seeking lightweight ergonomic safety shoes.
• SOLID GEAR Sonar Series Advanced safety footwear from Solid Gear, including the Sonar 2.0 model priced at €224.90 (gross) / €188.99 (net), positioned as a premium high-performance safety shoe.
• PKA Hybridjacke und Hybrid-Bundhose Hybrid jacket and matching trousers from PKA, priced at €82.90 (gross) / €69.66 (net), designed as flexible workwear for trades and industrial settings.
• BAAK Randy und Ray Summer safety shoes from BAAK, including models priced at €120 (gross) / €100.84 (net), targeted at industrial and craft professionals needing warm-weather safety footwear.
• Reebok Workwear Collection Safety shoes and workwear from Reebok Work, sold through the ASX catalog for trades and industrial workers, with models such as the Reebok Sublite XT at €120 (gross) / €100.84 (net).
• Logo Customization Service Service allowing business customers to apply company logos and custom embroidery/printing to workwear and PPE items, supporting corporate branding and team uniformity for trades and industrial buyers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Contorion: German online retailer of workwear, tools, and industrial supplies (formerly part of the Hoffmann Group). Directly comparable B2B e-commerce motion, multi-brand catalog, and target customer base (trades, industry, construction).
• Engelbert Strauss: Germany's largest direct-to-customer workwear and occupational-safety specialist, selling a comparable branded workwear and safety-footwear assortment to trades and industrial buyers. Closest like-for-like competitor to ASX in the German market, with a stronger own-brand mix.
• Toolstation: Multi-channel retailer of tools, workwear, and site supplies targeting trades and DIY customers in Germany and the UK. Comparable assortment, customer base, and value-pricing positioning, though with stronger UK footprint.
• Manutan: European B2B distributor of workplace supplies, including workwear, PPE, and facility products. Comparable B2B-led catalog model, multi-country footprint, and customer-acquisition motion in the same procurement categories as ASX.
• Distrelec / RS Components: European B2B e-commerce distributors of industrial and MRO products, including PPE. Overlaps ASX on the industrial/PPE side of the catalog and competes for the same corporate and SME procurement customers.

Broad incumbents

• Lyreco: European B2B distributor of workplace and industrial supplies, including PPE and workwear. Competes with ASX for corporate procurement budgets, particularly via catalog and e-procurement channels.
• W.W. Grainger: U.S.-listed global MRO distributor with a deep safety/PPE assortment. Not a direct German competitor, but the archetypal scaled B2B e-commerce distributor whose operating model (KeepStock, e-procurement) is increasingly referenced as the benchmark for European players like ASX.
• Amazon Business: B2B marketplace offering broad workwear and PPE assortments to German business customers. A structural competitive threat on price discovery and assortment breadth rather than a specialist workwear competitor.
• Würth: Global market leader in fasteners, tools, and work consumables, with a large workwear/PPE range sold to trades and industrial customers. Overlaps ASX in workwear and safety footwear but operates a much broader portfolio and direct-sales model.
• Hultafors Group (parent of Snickers Workwear): Owner of Snickers Workwear, one of ASX's largest brand partners. Comparable in workwear category authority, but operates upstream (brand owner) and increasingly sells D2C — making it both a key supplier and a strategic threat.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arbeitsschutz.express
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arbeitsschutz-express-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Arbeitsschutz-Express