Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv)

What Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv) does

The Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv) e.V. is Germany's leading trade association for the shopfitting industry, founded in 1973 and headquartered in Würzburg, Bayern. It represents approximately 160 member companies spanning the full German shopfitting value chain — store builders (Ladenbauunternehmen), partner companies (lighting, flooring, hardware, refrigeration, building services, POS technology, decor, IT), planners, retailers, and foreign shopfitting organizations. The association operates as a registered non-profit (eingetragener Verein), governed by an elected board led by President Carsten Schemberg (Theodor Schemberg Einrichtungen GmbH) and Deputy President Oliver Voßhenrich (POS TUNING GmbH), with a 6-person staff under Managing Director Dr. Wolfram Krause.

dLv's core products are content- and event-based: the annual STORE BOOK (published since 2014, with 55 of ~170 submitted projects featured in the 2026 edition), the quarterly dLv-Insider magazine, the dLv-Leistungsverzeichnis performance specification, and the dLv-Leitfaden Sicherheit safety guidelines. Member services include the annual Ladenbautagung conference (140-160 attendees, rotating across DACH cities), Digitale Lunchbox virtual sessions, recurring seminars, international study tours, and a member directory now available in both German and English. The association also organizes a 1,200 sqm joint exhibition stand at EuroShop, hosting 21 member companies in Hall 11 at the 2026 edition.

Its business model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues (specific pricing undisclosed) and ancillary revenues from publication sales (STORE BOOK: €59 for members / €69 for non-members in 2026), paid seminars, and conference/event participation. Project submissions to the STORE BOOK are free; revenue is generated when books are sold. Distribution is direct via the dLv website and event registration platform, supplemented by listing in national book retail. No revenue, ARR, or financial figures are publicly disclosed in the sources reviewed.

Name

Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv)

Legal name

Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv) e.V.

Website

https://ladenbauverband.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

German trade association founded in 1973 representing approximately 160 shopfitting companies, planners, and suppliers. Offers publications (STORE BOOK, dLv-Insider), annual conferences, seminars, and networking; funded via undisclosed membership dues and publication/event fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Würzburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual membership fees from shopfitting companies, suppliers, planners, and partner organizations across the German retail fitting industry.
2. STORE BOOK publications: Sale of the annual STORE BOOK yearbook featuring curated store designs. Priced at €59 for members and €69 for non-members (2026 edition), with discounted pricing for older editions. The book is also available in English as 'The Shopfitting Trend Book'.
3. dLv-Insider publication: Quarterly industry publication covering store design, retail trends, and member news. Available via free subscription for members.
4. Seminars and events: Revenue from seminar and workshop participation fees (e.g., Verkaufsstrategische Grundrissplanung, Strategischer Einkauf und Verhandlungstraining, Marketing mit KI).
5. Project submissions for STORE BOOK: The STORE BOOK project submission process is free for submitters. No revenue generated from submissions — publication cost is covered through book sales and membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv) is a German trade association for the shopfitting and retail fit-out industry. It delivers member services that include the annual STORE BOOK yearbook, the quarterly dLv-Insider publication, the Ladenbautagung annual conference, seminars, digital lunch sessions, study tours, and a member directory connecting approximately 160 member companies across the value chain.

Product overview

Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv) is a professional association for the retail fit-out industry in Germany, not a software company. Its core offerings are publications (STORE BOOK yearbook, dLv-Insider quarterly magazine), events (annual Ladenbautagung conference, seminars, digital sessions, international tours), and member services (directory, safety guidelines, performance specifications). The STORE BOOK, published annually since 2014, is the flagship publication featuring ~50-60 curated store designs worldwide. The association connects over 160 member companies including shopfitters, suppliers, planners, and service providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STORE BOOK: Annual yearbook showcasing outstanding store design projects from around the world, published since 2014.
• dLv-Insider
• Digitale Lunchbox
• dLv-Leistungsverzeichnis
• dLv-Leitfaden Sicherheit
• dLv STORE BOOK

Products and services

• STORE BOOK (dLv STORE BOOK) Annual yearbook published since 2014 showcasing 50-60 outstanding store designs from around the world with a focus on German-speaking markets. Available in German and English as 'The Shopfitting Trend Book'. Sold at differentiated member (€59 for 2026 edition) and non-member (€69) pricing.
• dLv-Insider Quarterly (three times per year) professional publication covering store design, retail trends, association news, and branch data. Free subscription for members.
• Ladenbautagung (Annual Conference) Annual flagship conference for the retail fit-out industry featuring expert presentations, networking, company visits, and the annual general meeting. Rotates across German-speaking locations.
• Digitale Lunchbox Short digital lunch session format (approximately 30 minutes) featuring presentations on current topics relevant to the shopfitting industry. Held via video conference.
• dLv Seminare (Seminars) Professional development seminars and workshops on topics such as strategic floor planning, strategic purchasing and negotiation training, visual merchandising, and marketing with AI. Participation fees apply.
• dLv Touren (Study Tours) Organized educational study trips to international retail markets and trade shows (e.g., dLv-Tour Mailand/Milan) for professional development and inspiration.
• dLv-Leistungsverzeichnis Standardized performance specification document providing technical reference specifications for shopfitting services.
• dLv-Leitfaden Sicherheit Safety guidelines publication providing reference standards for safety in the retail fit-out industry.
• Digitorial Digital editorial platform hosting expert articles and interviews on retail design, store construction, digitalization, and shopfitting trends.
• Mitgliederverzeichnis (Member Directory) Member directory listing approximately 160 shopfitting companies, suppliers, planners, and service providers by category, available in German and English.

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Die StadtretterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network and platform focused on inner-city development. Die Stadtretter collaborates with dLv on topics related to urban retail and the vitality of city centers, aligning with dLv's mission to support the stationary retail sector.
• Best Retail CasesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA platform for installations and solutions in national and international retail. Best Retail Cases showcases innovative retail concepts and serves as a knowledge-sharing partner with dLv on retail design and store fitting trends.
• Das-Handwerk-Digital.deminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn expert platform for branch-oriented digital consulting. das-handwerk-digital.de partners with dLv to support digital transformation efforts in the shopfitting and retail craft sector.
• Institut für Handelsforschung Köln (IFH Köln)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe IFH Cologne is a leading research institute for retail-relevant questions in the digital age. IFH Köln provides dLv with market research, data, and expert speakers for events. dLv references IFH Köln data in its industry surveys and publications. Dr. Kai Hudetz from IFH Köln is a regular contributor at dLv conferences.
• INSTITUTE OF CULINARY ARTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA platform for skilled professionals and top decision-makers in the food service industry. The institute collaborates with dLv on food retail and food service design topics relevant to the shopfitting sector.
• stores + shopscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe retail magazine of the EHI Retail Institute, covering concept, design, and technology in retail. stores + shops is a key media partner for dLv, publishing expert content and covering association activities. dLv lists stores + shops among its regular media collaboration partners.
• Trendforum RetailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA specialist conference featuring best practice examples from the retail landscape. Trendforum Retail works with dLv on knowledge sharing and industry events related to retail trends and store design.
• VMM Europäischer Verband Visuelles Marketing/Merchandising e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European association for visual marketing and merchandising. VMM collaborates with dLv on industry standards and best practices in visual merchandising and store presentation, areas of mutual professional interest.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• EHI Retail Institute: German retail industry research and trade association that publishes 'stores + shops' magazine — already a media partner of dLv. Highly comparable as a DACH retail trade body with similar member events, research, and conference formats serving the German retail ecosystem.
• BHB Handelsverband Bauen, Heimwerken, Garten: German trade association for DIY, home improvement, and garden retail — a DACH retail trade body with comparable member services, conference formats, and policy representation for retail-channel stakeholders.
• Die Stadtretter: German network and platform focused on inner-city development and urban retail vitality — listed as a dLv partner. Operates a similar community-and-events model around the stationary retail ecosystem that dLv's members serve.
• Shop! (formerly POPAI): Global non-profit trade association for retail experience and shopper marketing, covering shopfitting, POS, and visual merchandising. The international counterpart to dLv's niche, with similar value proposition (member networking, awards, research) at global rather than national scale.
• VMM Europäischer Verband Visuelles Marketing/Merchandising: European association for visual marketing and merchandising — explicitly listed as a dLv collaboration partner. Both organisations serve overlapping retail-presentation and store-design professional audiences with networking, education, and industry standards.

Others

• Handwerkskammer (e.g., Handwerkskammer Würzburg-Schweinfurt): German Chamber of Crafts with regional remit over trades including carpentry and joinery — relevant to dLv's members (store builders, carpenters) due to shared trade-craft governance, vocational training, and member-services model, though broader in scope than shopfitting.
• Rat für Formgebung / German Design Council: German design-focused foundation running industry awards, exhibitions, and conferences. Adjacent to dLv's design-and-shopfitting remit and serves an overlapping design-professional audience, but operates at design-industry level rather than retail fit-out specifically.
• Trendforum Retail: Specialist conference and knowledge platform for retail best practice — listed as a dLv partner. Comparable event/community format around retail trends, but focused on conference production rather than full association services.
• Institut für Handelsforschung (IFH Köln): Leading German retail research institute and a core dLv partner providing market data, expert speakers, and survey inputs. Adjacent rather than directly competitive — provides the research backbone that dLv references in its publications.
• Best Retail Cases: Platform for retail installations and solutions — listed as a dLv partner. Shares the curation-of-best-retail-designs mission with the STORE BOOK but operates as a digital platform rather than an industry association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=2mctf86GwX8
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dlv-ladenbau
• Instagraminstagram.com/dlv_ladenbauverband

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Deutscher Ladenbau Verband (dLv)