Christ

Christ is a German jewellery and watch retailer founded in Frankfurt in 1863, with its headquarters in Hagen. According to Wikipedia, the Italian Morellato Group took it over on 1 February 2023.

What is Christ?

Christ is one of Germany's largest jewellery and watch retail chains. Wikipedia says it was founded in 1863 in Frankfurt am Main by Wilhelm Alexander Christ, and its seat is now in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia.

History

Douglas Holding acquired a stake in 1995 and took majority control in 1997. Advent International acquired most of Douglas in 2012. On 1 February 2023 the Italian Morellato Group took over Christ. Wikipedia reports that the combined business has about 620 stores, roughly 800 million euros in revenue and about 4,500 employees, a figure it dates to 2023. It also records Gunnar Binder becoming CEO in 2024.

Products and positioning

The retailer sells jewellery, watches and gifts, with around 20,000 items from more than 125 brands according to its website. Own brands include CHRIST, CHRIST X YOU, YAMOKO by CHRIST, FAVS by CHRIST and GUIA by CHRIST.

Business model and distribution

Christ operates more than 200 stores plus an online shop, with separate sites for Austria and the Netherlands. Services include repairs, gold buying, engraving, ear piercing and a wedding ring configurator. The Swiss subsidiary Christ Uhren & Schmuck has belonged to the Coop Group since 2006, per Wikipedia.

Why it matters

Christ is a long-running example of a specialist retail chain, now part of a pan-European jewellery group, with a mix of third-party and own-label products.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Christ jewellers?

According to Wikipedia, the Italian Morellato Group took over Christ on 1 February 2023. Before that it had been part of Douglas Holding.

Where is Christ from?

Christ is German. It was founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1863 and is headquartered in Hagen.

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