Witt Weiden
Otto Group · Germany
Witt Weiden is a German fashion mail order brand founded by Josef Witt in 1907 and based in Weiden in der Oberpfalz. It is the oldest and best known brand of the Witt Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Otto Group.
| Founded | 1907 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Josef Witt |
| Headquarters | Weiden, Germany |
| Parent group | Otto Group |
| Business model | Mail order and online |
| Website | witt-weiden.de |
What is Witt Weiden?
Witt Weiden is the flagship brand of Josef Witt GmbH, better known as the Witt Group, which is regarded as the oldest mail order house for clothes in Germany. The group runs eleven brands, with Witt Weiden described as the oldest and best known of them.
History
The business began in 1907, when Josef Witt took over his sister's grocery store in Reuth bei Erbendorf. It expanded rapidly, reaching around 5,000 employees by the 1930s. After Josef Witt's death in 1954 his wife Monika ran the company until 1958, when their son Josef Witt Jr. took over. A sales crisis in the 1980s led to the sale of the company to Schwab, a subsidiary of the Otto Group, of which the Witt Group remains a 100 per cent subsidiary.
Products and positioning
Witt Weiden sells clothing through its catalogue and online channels, with a long standing focus on the mature customer. German trade press has covered how the brand modernises the printed catalogue to reach the so called best ager customer, and its strength in dresses and colourful prints.
Why it matters
Witt Weiden shows how a century old catalogue business has carried its model into omnichannel retail while staying anchored in its home town of Weiden.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Witt Weiden?
Witt Weiden belongs to the Witt Group (Josef Witt GmbH), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Otto Group.
When was Witt Weiden founded?
The company traces its origins to 1907, when Josef Witt took over a grocery store in Reuth bei Erbendorf.