Höffner

Höffner is a German furniture retailer and a full-range supplier for the home and furnishing sector. Its assortment combines furniture for living rooms, bedrooms, dining areas, kitchens and other parts of the home with household goods and decorative accessories. The company describes its core range as comprising approximately 100,000 products, placing it among Germany's large-format furniture retailers rather than a narrowly specialized design or home-accessories brand. The Höffner name has roots in Berlin. A company bearing the name was established in 1874 by Rudolf Höffner and became Berlin's largest furniture retailer before the Second World War. Based in the eastern part of the city, the original business was discontinued after the war. In 1967, entrepreneur Kurt Krieger acquired the rights to the Höffner name and established a new company using the brand. The postwar business initially operated from Berlin-Wedding. Following German reunification, its headquarters moved to Schönefeld in Brandenburg, where the company has continued to develop its large-store retail model. Höffner's expansion has involved both new or remodeled stores and acquisitions or conversions of existing furniture locations. Its western German growth included the takeover and renaming of a furniture center in Rösrath near Cologne in 2010. The company also pursued broader regional expansion and, in some cases, consolidated or merged locations, including activity around Magdeburg. In 2014, a Möbel Mahler store in Siebenlehn was sold to the Möbel Höffner Group as part of Möbel Mahler's strategic concentration on southern Germany; the Siebenlehn location continued to trade under the Möbel Mahler name. Höffner stores in Berlin-Schöneberg and Rösrath were opened or substantially remodeled in 2016. In 2018, Höffner announced an agreement to take over the Paderborn-based Finke furniture chain, with the transaction confirmed after review by the German Federal Cartel Office in November of that year. The retailer has also faced scrutiny over pricing practices and construction-related environmental concerns. In 2007, a regional court prohibited a Höffner store in Barsbüttel from advertising discounts where a product's price had first been raised for a short period and then reduced. The case concerned the advertised pricing of a couch set, while Höffner attributed the price movement to manufacturer fluctuations that were not substantiated in the proceedings. In Kiel, protests followed the 2020 cutting of compensatory land during construction work for a store. Höffner characterized the incident as an oversight. In 2023, a specialist horticultural contractor engaged for the work paid a fine of €50,000; Höffner itself was not fined, although it had donated €100,000 to the city in 2021 for ecological and social projects. Today, Höffner operates as a Germany-focused, large-format furniture retailer offering broad choice across furniture, household merchandise and home accessories. Its brand identity also includes Höffi, a mascot depicted as a man wearing a hat and red bow tie.

Höffner's history reaches back to Berlin in 1874, when Rudolf Höffner founded a furniture business bearing the family name. Before the Second World War, the company had become Berlin's largest furniture retailer. Its original base was in the eastern part of Berlin, but the business was discontinued after the war, leaving the name without an operating successor for a period. A new phase began in 1967, when Kurt Krieger acquired the rights to the Höffner name and established a new furniture company under that brand. The revived business was initially based in Berlin-Wedding. Its development coincided with the growth of large-format furniture retailing, in which extensive showrooms and broad inventories allowed customers to furnish multiple rooms through one retailer. After German reunification, Höffner moved its headquarters to Schönefeld in Brandenburg and continued building a nationwide German presence. The company expanded beyond its Berlin roots through store development, remodeling and the conversion of existing furniture locations. The takeover and renaming of a furniture center in Rösrath near Cologne in 2010 supported western German expansion. Höffner also pursued additional growth around the country, including plans connected with Duisburg and the consolidation of locations such as Magdeburg. A store in Siebenlehn was sold to the Möbel Höffner Group on 1 January 2014 as part of Möbel Mahler's regional strategy; despite the ownership change, it continued trading under the Möbel Mahler name. In 2016, Höffner opened or fully remodeled stores in Berlin-Schöneberg and Rösrath. Acquisition became another element of the company's growth strategy. In August 2018, Höffner announced its intention to take over Finke, a furniture chain based in Paderborn. The transaction required competition approval and was confirmed by the German Federal Cartel Office in November of that year. The deal strengthened Höffner's position in the German furniture-retail market while extending its operating footprint through an established chain. Höffner's retail practices have occasionally attracted legal or public scrutiny. In 2007, the Lübeck Regional Court barred the Barsbüttel store from promoting discounts where a price had been temporarily increased and then reduced. Höffner had argued that manufacturer price fluctuations explained the change, but the court found that explanation unproven in the case. More than a decade later, the company became the focus of protests in Kiel after compensatory land was cut during construction activity for its store in November 2020. Höffner described the incident as an oversight. The matter was clarified in 2023 when the contracted specialist horticultural business paid a €50,000 fine. Höffner itself was not fined, but donated €100,000 to the city in 2021 for ecological and social initiatives. Höffner's present model is that of a Germany-focused full-range furniture retailer. Its core assortment is reported at roughly 100,000 products, spanning furniture in multiple styles, household goods and home accessories. The brand's public-facing identity also features Höffi, a mascot portrayed as a man with a hat and red bow tie.

• 2018

  Finke acquisition announced and approved

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  Höffner announced its takeover of the Paderborn-based Finke furniture chain; the transaction was confirmed in November.

• 2016

  Berlin-Schöneberg and Rösrath stores opened or remodeled

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  Höffner opened or substantially remodeled stores in Berlin-Schöneberg and Rösrath.

• 2014

  Siebenlehn location transferred to Möbel Höffner Group

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  The group acquired a Möbel Mahler store in Siebenlehn, which continued using the Möbel Mahler brand.

• 2010

  Rösrath furniture center taken over

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  Höffner took over and renamed a furniture center in Rösrath near Cologne.

• 2007

  Discount advertising restricted by court

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  The Lübeck Regional Court prohibited a Barsbüttel store from advertising discounts involving a temporarily increased reference price.

• 1990

  Headquarters move to Schönefeld after reunification

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  Following German reunification, the company's headquarters moved from Berlin-Wedding to Schönefeld in Brandenburg.

• 1967

  Höffner name revived under Kurt Krieger

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  Kurt Krieger acquired the rights to the Höffner name and created a new company initially based in Berlin-Wedding.

• 1874

  Original Höffner company founded in Berlin

  [1]Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org

  Rudolf Höffner founded a furniture company that later became Berlin's largest furniture retailer before the Second World War.

A broad-assortment, large-format German furniture retailer serving mainstream household furnishing needs across furniture, household goods and home accessories.

• Home furnishings

  Furniture

  Höffner's principal offering is a broad furniture range covering living rooms, bedrooms, dining spaces, kitchens and other areas of the home. The retailer presents furniture in a variety of styles and uses its large-format stores to provide coordinated furnishing options across multiple rooms.

• Household retail

  Household goods

  Alongside furniture, Höffner sells household goods intended for everyday domestic use. These products broaden the retailer's role from furniture specialist to full-range home-and-living supplier.

• Home decoration

  Home accessories

  Home accessories and decorative merchandise complement the core furniture assortment. They allow customers to add finishing elements to furnished rooms and contribute to Höffner's broad home-retail proposition.

• 2018

  Takeover of FinkeM&A

  Background

  Höffner sought to expand through the acquisition of Finke, a furniture chain based in Paderborn. The transaction required review by the German Federal Cartel Office.

  Action taken

  Höffner announced the takeover in August 2018, and the transaction was confirmed in November 2018.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition extended Höffner's presence through Finke's established German furniture-retail operations.

  Source

• 2010

  Western Germany expansionStrategy

  Background

  Höffner pursued growth outside its Berlin and eastern German base.

  Action taken

  The company took over and renamed a furniture center in Rösrath near Cologne and continued developing larger sales areas and additional locations.

  Aftermath

  The move supported Höffner's broader German store network.

  Source

1. 1Höffner (furniture retailer)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Höffner official websitehoeffner.de