Wünsche Group

The Wünsche Group is an internationally operating trading and services company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. It describes itself as a Hanseatic family business with more than 30 branches worldwide and over 25 independently operating companies. Its business is organized into six areas: Food, Fashion, Electronics, Non-Food, E-Commerce and Service, with product development as a further capability. The group develops and sources goods for private labels as well as promotional and assortment articles, and positions itself around operational excellence, reliability and a strong price-performance ratio. The company traces its origins to 1934, when Ludwig Wünsche founded the grain and feed trading firm Ludwig Wünsche & Co. in Halle an der Saale. In 1949 the headquarters moved to Hamburg, and in 1959 the company entered international food trading. It opened an office in Shanghai in 1983 and expanded into the United States in 2011. By 2016 the group reported more than 1,000 employees across more than 25 operating companies at 35 locations worldwide. From its Hamburg base it works closely with foreign offices in Asia, Europe, Australia and the USA. Over the decades the group has owned and developed a portfolio of brands. It held a 95 percent stake in the fashion label Joop! from 1998, and its brand family has included Wünsche Fashion, Jansen Fashion Group (including BeeDees bras), Müller-Licht, Max Power Products, Globaltronics, Monz International, Dario, Latupo and Audio Affairs. Former brands include Joop!, CINQUE, Jean Pascale and Lunux. Leadership has remained in family hands: Kai Wünsche led the company until 1997, followed by external managers Peter Littmann and Peter H. Miebach, and since at least April 2018 Thomas Wünsche, a son of Wolf-Jürgen Wünsche, has headed the group. Today the Wünsche Group presents itself as a partner-driven, owner-managed family enterprise that combines long trading tradition with flexibility and market knowledge gained from local presence. Its stated ambition is to be economically successful while remaining fair and responsible, applying simple rules in a highly complex world of trade.

The Wünsche Group began in 1934 when Ludwig Wünsche founded the grain and feed trading company Ludwig Wünsche & Co. in Halle an der Saale. In 1949 the company relocated its headquarters to Hamburg, establishing the Hanseatic base from which it still operates. A decade later, in 1959, it entered international food trading, marking the start of its global trading activities. International expansion continued with the opening of an office in Shanghai in 1983, giving the group a direct presence in Asia. In 1998 the Wünsche Group acquired a 95 percent stake in the fashion label Joop! for approximately 150 million Deutsche Mark, a major move into branded fashion. Leadership transitions followed: Kai Wünsche, the second-born son of founder Ludwig Wünsche, served as long-time chairman of the board until 1997; he also pushed his brothers Wolf-Jürgen Wünsche and Frank Wünsche out of the company's management. From 1997 to 1999 Peter Littmann led the Wünsche AG. After Kai Wünsche resigned as chairman of the supervisory board and sold parts of the Wünsche AG, Peter H. Miebach, previously finance chief at Reemtsma, took over as CEO in 1999. In 2011 the group expanded into the United States. By 2016 it reported more than 1,000 employees in more than 25 operating companies at 35 locations worldwide. As of April 2018 the company was led by Thomas Wünsche, a son of Wolf-Jürgen Wünsche, keeping the business in family hands. Over the years the group built and managed a portfolio of brands spanning fashion, lighting, batteries, consumer electronics, bicycles, household goods and e-commerce, including Wünsche Fashion, Jansen Fashion Group (with BeeDees bras), Müller-Licht, Max Power Products, Globaltronics, Monz International, Dario, Latupo and Audio Affairs. Former brands include Joop!, CINQUE, Jean Pascale and Lunux. Today the group describes itself as an owner-managed family business with a Hanseatic merchant tradition of over 80 years, organized into the business areas Food, Fashion, Electronics, Non-Food, E-Commerce and Service, and working with foreign offices in Asia, Europe, Australia and the USA.

• 2018

  Thomas Wünsche leads the group (as of April 2018).

• 2016

  Group reports more than 1,000 employees in more than 25 operating companies at 35 locations worldwide.

• 2011

  Expansion into the United States.

• 1999

  Peter H. Miebach becomes CEO after Kai Wünsche resigns and sells parts of the Wünsche AG.

• 1998

  Acquisition of a 95 percent stake in the fashion label Joop! for approximately 150 million Deutsche Mark.

• 1997

  Kai Wünsche steps down as chairman; Peter Littmann becomes CEO.

• 1983

  Office opened in Shanghai.

• 1959

  Entry into international food trading.

• 1949

  Company headquarters moves to Hamburg.

• 1934

  Ludwig Wünsche founds the grain and feed trading company Ludwig Wünsche & Co. in Halle an der Saale.

Owner-managed Hanseatic family business focused on operational excellence, reliability and value for retail partners across food, fashion, electronics, non-food, e-commerce and services.

• Wünsche Fashion

  Manufacturer of no-name products for discounters, supermarkets, department stores and online retailers.

• Jansen Fashion Group

  Fashion group including BeeDees bras.

• Müller-Licht

  Lighting brand.

• Max Power Products

  Primary batteries and energy storage.

• Globaltronics

  Consumer electronics, including licensee for the Blaupunkt audio segment.

• Monz International

  Bicycle-related products.

• Dario

  Kitchen, household, travel, decoration articles and furniture.

• Latupo

  E-commerce.

• Audio Affairs

  Hi-Fi products.

1. 1Wünsche Group official websitewuenschegroup.de
2. 2Wir über unswuenschegroup.de
3. 3Wünsche Group – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
4. 4Wünsche Group – Wikidatawikidata.org