Beutler fashion group AG

What Beutler fashion group AG does

Beutler fashion group AG (legal form: Aktiengesellschaft) is a privately held Swiss fashion distribution and service company founded in 1954 by Alexander Beutler in Bern. It functions as a full-service distribution and service center for international fashion and sports brands, providing import, sales, space management, and EDI-enabled space controlling across Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy (with Liechtenstein also served). It also designs and produces knitwear and T-shirts under the proprietary Beutler Swiss Design label and via license production for retail partners, with an Asia-facing subsidiary, Beutler fashion Inc. Hong Kong, established in 1981.

The company operates showrooms in the Glattpark/Zurich area (consolidated into WRIGHT PLACE in October 2022 after 48 years at the Textil- und Modecenter Zürich) and from a 2,000+ m2 headquarters in Ittigen (BE), supported by warehouses holding over 30,000 items — described by the company as unique in Switzerland. It manages more than 500 concession and consignment retail spaces carrying its own merchandise across partner retailers. Its product surface spans womenswear, menswear, and bags, with a brand portfolio that includes Riani, CAMEL ACTIVE, NZA, MILESTONE, FRAAS, and BIANCA.

The business model is B2B distribution and managed services rather than direct consumer retail. Revenue streams include distribution fees, space management services, license production, and own-brand wholesale, priced through bespoke commercial arrangements with brand principals and retail partners. Geographic expansion was extended in 2014 via Kleiderschrank GmbH (Salzburg), now serving Austria and Northern Italy. Markus Jost has been CEO and majority shareholder since 2017; the firm remains private with no disclosed financials, no institutional investors, and no stock exchange listing.

Name

Beutler fashion group AG

Legal name

Beutler fashion group AG

Website

https://beutler.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Beutler fashion group AG is a Swiss fashion distribution company founded in 1954 that provides full-service import, distribution, EDI-enabled space management, and own-brand knitwear production for international fashion brands across Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Distribution Services

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (45811), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

General Apparel Retail (Specialty & Mass) (CRAAABAA)

Keywords

• Fashion distribution services
• Apparel brand representation
• Retail space management
• Licensed knitwear production
• Wholesale fashion agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Ittigen (BE)

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Distribution Services: Full-service distribution and service center for international fashion and sports brands in Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy. Provides import, distribution, and space management services.
2. Own Brand Production: Design and production of knitwear and T-shirts for own brands under their own designs or customer specifications. Also includes licensed production.
3. Space Management: Space management and space controlling via EDI. Operates retail spaces in concession and consignment with own merchandise, merchandising, and space management.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Beutler fashion group AG is a distribution and service center for international fashion and sports brands in Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy, offering import, sales, and retail space management. It also designs and produces knitwear and T-shirts for its own brand Beutler Swiss Design and under license for retail partners, operating showrooms in Zurich and Bern and more than 500 concession/consignment retail spaces.

Product overview

Beutler fashion group AG is a fashion distribution and service company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services: Distribution (import, sales, and service center for international fashion brands across Switzerland, Austria, and Northern Italy), Space Management/Flächenmanagement (retail space controlling via EDI), and Design & Production (knitwear and T-shirt manufacturing for own brands and license partners). The company distributes womenswear, menswear, and bags through dedicated showrooms and sales teams, representing brands including Riani, CAMEL ACTIVE, NZA, MILESTONE, FRAAS, and BIANCA. They operate through subsidiaries including Kleiderschrank GmbH for Austrian and Italian markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Distribution Services

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HUTNER TrainingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 April 2020Since Spring 2020, Beutler fashion group AG is Swiss Brand-Ambassador and partner of HUTNER Training, the leading personal development company in German-speaking regions. HUTNER specializes in sales personnel training up to individual coaching of international management. Beutler offers customized, cost-optimized training packages for customers.
• Modeagentur Zirlewagen (GAUDI-Gruppe)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner that remains at the original location in TMC Zurich after Beutler's relocation in 2022.
• Kleiderschrank GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorModeagentur (fashion agency) founded in 2014 by Markus Jost and Richard Gostony in Gusswerk Salzburg for Austria and South Tyrol/North Italy distribution. In 2021, Markus Jost and Andreas Burbach took over the shares from Richard Gostony.
• FRAAScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman scarf and textile brand represented by Beutler, known for sustainability practices since 1880. Partnership includes forest protection initiative with Peter Wohlleben's Urwaldprojekt.
• BIANCAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFashion brand with own production facility in Bulgaria since 2002, maintaining high social standards and sustainable practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Eterna Mode Holding: German shirt and blouse specialist with own-brand manufacturing and DACH retail distribution through partners and own stores. Comparable as a DACH apparel manufacturer/brand with multi-channel stationary retail distribution and license partnerships.
• Calida Group: Swiss listed apparel group (Calida, Aubade, Lafuma) with distribution across DACH and own-brand production. Comparable as a Swiss-rooted multi-brand apparel platform combining brand ownership with European distribution, though focused on underwear/outdoor rather than womenswear/menswear agency work.
• Marc O'Polo GmbH: Scandinavian-German premium casual apparel brand with integrated DACH distribution and concession spaces in stationary retail. Comparable as a brand owner/operator running a concession-based DACH retail model that competes for the same shelf space Beutler fills for its agency brands.
• Schiesser AG: German underwear and apparel manufacturer/distributor with deep DACH retail relationships. Comparable as a DACH-based apparel company combining own-brand production with multi-brand distribution through stationary retail; larger scale and listed status differentiate.
• Holy Fashion Group: Swiss fashion holding that owns and distributes premium brands (Strellson, Windsor, Joop!, Baldessarini) across European retail. Comparable as a Swiss-headquartered multi-brand apparel platform with integrated distribution, though at significantly larger scale and via owned brands rather than agency model.
• Digel AG: German menswear manufacturer with DACH wholesale and concession distribution model through stationary retail. Comparable to Beutler's menswear distribution and concession-space operations, with focus on the same mid-market menswear segment served by brands like CAMEL ACTIVE and MILESTONE.

Emerging players

• Engbers GmbH & Co. KG: German menswear brand with franchise and concession distribution across DACH stationary retail. Comparable as a menswear player using the same concession/in-store retail model that Beutler operates on behalf of its brand partners, providing a reference point for the economics of third-party menswear distribution.

Direct peers

• Modeagentur Zirlewagen (GAUDI-Gruppe): German/DACH fashion agency already partnered with Beutler at TMC Zurich; both act as exclusive sales agents representing international fashion brands to stationary retail in the German-speaking market. Closest comparable by business model (B2B brand representation + showroom-based distribution).

Others

• Betty Barclay Group: German womenswear group whose brands (Betty Barclay, Vera Mont, Gil Bret, Anya Hindmarch) are represented by Beutler in Switzerland. Comparable as an adjacent fashion ecosystem player — a brand owner that depends on distributors like Beutler to reach DACH retail, and a useful reference for the type of brand mandate Beutler competes to win.

Regional players

• Strellson AG: Swiss menswear brand with deep domestic retail presence and own-store network in Switzerland. Comparable as a Swiss-headquartered apparel competitor competing for the same Swiss menswear shelf space at retail partners where Beutler manages concession/consignment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 →

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