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Karstadt Kaufhof
© GALERIA Karstadt Kaufhof GmbH

The long-standing brands Karstadt and Kaufhof will soon be consigned to history. Once competitors, the two previously independent department store chains merged in late 2018. They were taken over completely by Signa Holding and renamed “Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof”. Now it is time to say goodbye to the original brand names, whose roots stretch back to the 19th century. The only part of the name that will remain is “Galeria”. The revised brand identity is due to become visible when new showcase stores open on 27 October. This will also represent the first official use of the new logo. “We will then gradually refit stores throughout Germany and install the new logo there too in the course of this work”, announced the group’s CEO, Miguel Müllenbach.

The new logo is a small “g” surrounded by three semicircles supplemented by the name “Galeria” in upper-case letters. It will gradually replace the familiar Kaufhof and Karstadt names on department stores as refitting and renovation work is undertaken. The group’s online offering is somewhat more advanced already: the online shops of Karstadt and Galeria Kaufhof were combined early in the summer of 2019 and have since been operating using the URL galeria.de. Customer loyalty cards have also borne the name “Galeria” for just over two years. As part of the strategic relaunch, the group intends to spend some EUR 600 million on refitting over the next three to four years, with EUR 400 million earmarked for modernising the 131 department stores alone. Between 50 and 60 stores are due to be refitted completely, with the rest undergoing partial refits. The stores are to be classified using three different categories: big-city store, regional magnet and local forum. This concept will be piloted at the department stores in Frankfurt am Main, Kassel and Kleve. Müllenbach explained: “We want to become the integrated heart of the high street – with concepts which are tailored precisely to the specific site.”

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