Tchibo
Maxingvest (Herz family) · Germany
Tchibo is a Hamburg-based, family-owned coffee and consumer goods retailer founded in 1949 by Max Herz and Carl Tchilinghiryan. Alongside coffee it sells clothing, home textiles and household items in themed ranges that change every week. It belongs to Maxingvest, the holding company of the Herz family.
| Founded | 1949, Hamburg |
|---|---|
| Founders | Max Herz, Carl Tchilinghiryan |
| Owner | Maxingvest AG (Herz family) |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany |
| Revenue | 3.72 billion euros (2025) |
| Shops | About 860 in eight countries |
| Website | tchibo.de |
What is Tchibo?
Tchibo is best known as one of Germany's leading coffee roasters, but its non-food business makes it a significant seller of apparel. Under the long-running slogan Every week a new world, it launches a new themed non-food range each week, regularly including womenswear, menswear, kidswear, underwear, sportswear and home textiles.
History
Max Herz and Carl Tchilinghiryan founded Tchibo in Hamburg in 1949 as a mail-order coffee business; the name combines syllables of Tchilinghiryan and Bohne, the German word for bean. Non-food products became a defining part of the offer from the 1970s. The company is owned by Maxingvest AG, formerly Tchibo Holding, which is wholly owned by members of the Herz family.
Products and positioning
Tchibo's apparel is sold under its own name at accessible prices, positioned as practical, good-value products rather than fashion trends. Typical categories include:
- Basics, knitwear and outdoor and sports clothing
- Lingerie, nightwear and underwear
- Children's clothing
- Bed linen and home textiles
Business model and distribution
According to the company, Tchibo operates about 860 shops in eight countries, more than 15,500 depots in supermarkets and other retailers, and national online shops. It reported revenue of 3.72 billion euros in 2025 and employs more than 10,000 people. The weekly ranges are sold across shops, retail depots and online simultaneously.
Tchibo and sustainability
Tchibo reports that since 2023 all cotton used in its apparel and home textiles has come from sustainable cultivation verified through OCS, GOTS or Cotton made in Africa. It has run farmer projects in India, used recycled cotton and wool, and in 2025 launched a first product designed to circular.fashion criteria with a digital product passport.
Why it matters
Tchibo shows how a non-specialist retailer can become a large volume seller of textiles through a curated, time-limited assortment, and it is often cited for its supply chain and fibre sourcing programmes.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Tchibo?
Tchibo is owned by Maxingvest AG, the holding company formerly called Tchibo Holding. Maxingvest is wholly owned by members of the Herz family, descendants of co-founder Max Herz.
Why does Tchibo sell clothes?
Tchibo has long complemented its coffee business with non-food products in weekly changing themed ranges. Clothing and home textiles are regular parts of these ranges and are sold in its shops, retail depots and online.