Quelle-Versandhaus

Quelle is a German mail-order and e-commerce brand with a history dating back to 1927, when Gustav Schickedanz founded the company in Fürth. For much of the 20th century, Quelle was one of Germany's largest and best-known universal mail-order houses, famous for its thick catalogues covering fashion, furniture, technology, and household goods. The company grew rapidly after World War II, becoming a family-run retail giant. In 1999, Quelle merged with the Karstadt department store group to form KarstadtQuelle AG. Following the insolvency of Arcandor (formerly KarstadtQuelle AG) in 2009, the mail-order business was dissolved and sold off in parts. A new Quelle GmbH was established in Hamburg between 2011 and 2013, and the brand was repositioned as an online pure player under the Austrian UNITO group. Since 2013, Quelle has operated as an independent mail-order company based in Burgkunstadt, Germany, and is now part of the Otto Group through Baur Versand. The company sells a broad range of products including furniture, consumer electronics, household appliances, fashion, and home textiles, primarily through its online shop quelle.de. It serves customers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (the DACH region). The brand emphasizes customer proximity, flexible payment options such as instalment plans, and a loyalty programme called Quelle Vorteilsclub. In recent years, Quelle has celebrated record sales and double-digit growth in its living segment, continuing its transformation from a traditional catalogue retailer to a digital commerce platform.

Quelle was founded on 26 October 1927 by Gustav Schickedanz in Fürth, Germany. His wife Anna Schickedanz also worked in the management. In 1929, Anna and two other family members died in a car accident. In the 1930s, Schickedanz joined the Nazi Party and acquired several Jewish-owned businesses under below-value terms, a process known as 'Aryanization'. By 1938, Quelle had two million regular customers, and in 1939 its revenue reached 40 million Reichsmark. In 1943, the company's warehouse in Fürth was destroyed by Allied bombing, and mail-order operations ceased. After World War II, Gustav Schickedanz was banned from professional activity and his property was confiscated; he was released in 1948. His wife Grete Schickedanz opened the first post-war Quelle retail store in Hersbruck in 1946, and from 1948 the mail-order business was rebuilt. Gustav Schickedanz was formally rehabilitated in 1949. In the following decades, Quelle grew into one of Germany's largest mail-order companies. Revenue reached 260 million DM in 1954, 5 billion DM in 1972, and 6.4 billion DM in 1974 with 36,000 employees. After Gustav Schickedanz's death in 1977, his widow Grete took over the company. She stepped down from leadership in 1983. In 1999, Quelle was converted into a stock corporation (Quelle Schickedanz AG & Co.) and merged with the Karstadt department store group to form KarstadtQuelle AG. Following the insolvency of Arcandor (formerly KarstadtQuelle AG) in 2009, the Quelle mail-order business was dissolved and sold in parts. A new Quelle GmbH was established in Hamburg between 2011 and 2013. The brand was repositioned as an online pure player under the Austrian UNITO group. Since 2 May 2013, Quelle GmbH has been an independent mail-order company based in Burgkunstadt, Germany, and is a subsidiary of the Otto Group. The company operates the online shop quelle.de, offering furniture, technology, fashion, and household goods. In January 2021, Quelle celebrated its tenth anniversary as an e-commerce pure player, reporting record sales and a 31% increase in customer revenue during the Christmas season compared to the previous year, with a 40% growth in the living segment.

• Founded by Gustav Schickedanz in Fürth, Germany.

• Reaches two million regular customers.

• Revenue reaches 40 million Reichsmark.

• Warehouse destroyed by Allied bombing; mail-order operations cease.

• Grete Schickedanz opens first post-war Quelle store in Hersbruck.

• Mail-order business rebuilt.

• Revenue reaches 260 million DM.

• Revenue reaches 5 billion DM.

• Revenue reaches 6.4 billion DM with 36,000 employees.

• Gustav Schickedanz dies; Grete Schickedanz takes over leadership.

• Grete Schickedanz steps down from leadership.

• Quelle becomes a stock corporation and merges with Karstadt to form KarstadtQuelle AG.

• Arcandor (formerly KarstadtQuelle AG) insolvency; Quelle mail-order business dissolved and sold in parts.

• Brand repositioned as online pure player under UNITO group.

• Quelle GmbH established as independent mail-order company in Burgkunstadt, subsidiary of Otto Group.

• Celebrates 10th anniversary as e-commerce pure player with record sales.

Universal mail-order and online retailer offering a broad assortment of furniture, technology, fashion, and household goods, with a focus on customer-friendly payment options and value.

• Furniture

• Consumer electronics

• Household appliances

• Fashion

• Home textiles

• Multimedia

• Decoration

• Quelle Vorteilsclub
• Flexikonto Ratenzahlung

1. 1QUELLE Online-Shop | Möbel, Technik & Multimediaquelle.de
2. 2AGB | QUELLE - Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungenquelle.de
3. 3Quelle.de | Elektrogeräte, Möbel und Technik online kaufenquelle.de
4. 4Impressum | Quelle.dequelle.de
5. 5Quelle-Versandhaus - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Quelle (Versandhandel) - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
7. 7QUELLE Online-Shop | Möbel, Technik & Multimedia ❤️quelle.de
8. 8AGB | QUELLE - Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungenquelle.de
9. 9Quelle.de | Elektrogeräte, Möbel und Technik online kaufenquelle.de
10. 10Impressum | Quelle.dequelle.de