Brenninkmeijer family
Encyclopedia
Brenninkmeijer is a German-Dutch family. Two members of the Brenninkmeijer family founded C&A
, an international chain of clothing stores.
s originally from the small village Mettingen
in Westphalia
traveled each year to Friesland
to sell their textiles to the farmers. In 1861, they stocked their goods in a warehouse in Sneek
. This small town in the north of the Netherlands
became the location of their first store. A branch was opened in Leeuwarden, and in 1910 there were ten stores in the Netherlands. In 1911 the company opened the first German store in Berlin and today there are more than 400 stores in Germany. In 1922 the company started a store in Great Britain. Today C&A and other related companies are located in 16 countries throughout the world. These companies are linked through the COFRA group, based in Zug
, Switzerland
. The company closed its stores in the United Kingdom and Denmark in 2000. Recently, many new countries have been entered in Eastern Europe and the company has also opened stores in China. More recently, the company has focused its efforts on real estate and financial services. C&A Online launched in Germany in 2008.
For a period of time, Eastern Mountain Sports
, Steinbach, Orbachs, Maurices, Millers Outpost and others were owned through the American Retail Group. In the 1980s and 1990s, they owned the Comark group in Canada, which included Bretton's
department stores, Clark Shoes, and Collacut luggage stores.
The Brenninkmeijer family has a £19 billion fortune, according to the recent Dutch rich list in Quote 500 magazine.
C&A
C&A is an international chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde , Belgium and Düsseldorf, Germany...
, an international chain of clothing stores.
History
In 1841, the brothers Clemens and August founded the textile shop C&A, which sold unusually for that time, ready made clothes. The two brothers, peddlerPeddler
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
s originally from the small village Mettingen
Mettingen
Mettingen is a municipality in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Mettingen is situated approx. 25 km east of Rheine and 20 km west of Osnabrück.-Neighbouring places:...
in Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
traveled each year to Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
to sell their textiles to the farmers. In 1861, they stocked their goods in a warehouse in Sneek
Sneek
Sneek is a city southwest of Leeuwarden and seat of the former municipality of Sneek in the province of Friesland . As for 2011 it is part of the municipality Súdwest Fryslân...
. This small town in the north of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
became the location of their first store. A branch was opened in Leeuwarden, and in 1910 there were ten stores in the Netherlands. In 1911 the company opened the first German store in Berlin and today there are more than 400 stores in Germany. In 1922 the company started a store in Great Britain. Today C&A and other related companies are located in 16 countries throughout the world. These companies are linked through the COFRA group, based in Zug
Zug
Zug , is a German-speaking city in Switzerland. The name ‘Zug’ originates from fishing vocabulary; in the Middle Ages it referred to the right to ‘pull up’ fishing nets and hence to the right to fish.The city of Zug is located in the Canton of Zug and is its capital...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The company closed its stores in the United Kingdom and Denmark in 2000. Recently, many new countries have been entered in Eastern Europe and the company has also opened stores in China. More recently, the company has focused its efforts on real estate and financial services. C&A Online launched in Germany in 2008.
For a period of time, Eastern Mountain Sports
Eastern Mountain Sports
Eastern Mountain Sports is an outdoor apparel and equipment retailer in the U.S. Northeast headquartered in Peterborough, New Hampshire.EMS sells outdoor equipment and clothing from both name brands and its own EMS line...
, Steinbach, Orbachs, Maurices, Millers Outpost and others were owned through the American Retail Group. In the 1980s and 1990s, they owned the Comark group in Canada, which included Bretton's
Bretton's
Bretton's was a high-end department store in Canada from 1985 to 1996.The first two Bretton's stores were opened in Ottawa in 1985 by the parent company, Comark. Comark, owned by the Brenninkmeijer family of the Netherlands, had owned many retail chains including Ricky's Bootlegger, Clark Shoes,...
department stores, Clark Shoes, and Collacut luggage stores.
The Brenninkmeijer family has a £19 billion fortune, according to the recent Dutch rich list in Quote 500 magazine.