C&A - A Family Business in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom 1911-1961

Cover

Title

About the Book

About the Author

Copyright

Preface

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 The Rise of the Brenninkmeijers (1600–1918)

From Itinerant Traders to Store Owners

The Expansion of C&A in the Netherlands

New Social Classes, New Customers

The Entry into Menswear

Changes in Corporate Governance

The Move into Germany in 1911

C&A during the First World War

Chapter 3 The Development of C&A between the Wars (1919–1938)

C&A Holland

The Move into the United Kingdom in 1922: C&A Modes

C&A in Germany

The Weimar Republic (1919–1932): C&A on the Path to Expansion

Years of Inflation: The Flight to Tangible Assets and Production

Renewed Expansion: More Branches, New Customers

Bold Advertising in a Competitive Market

C&A Deutschland during the Great Depression

C&A in the Third Reich (1933–1939): Between Traditional Values and Opportunistic Pursuit of Profit

Areas of Conflict: Foreigners, Catholics and Capitalists

Suits, Dresses or Uniforms? Expanding Production

Expansion of the Branch Network and Political Resistance

Charity and Protection Money: “Account A”

Advertising in a Totalitarian State

Properties Yes, Companies No: C&A and “Aryanisation”

A Highly Profitable, Multi-National Enterprise

Chapter 4 Friend or Foe? A Multi-National Dutch Company in the Second World War (1939–1945)

C&A Holland under German Occupation

C&A Deutschland in the War Economy

Retail during the War: Rationing instead of Advertising

C&A as Producer: Wehrmacht Contracts, Production Contracted Abroad, Ghetto Production and Forced Labour

C&A Modes in the “Blitz”

Profits and Losses: C&A Businesses during the Second World War

Chapter 5 C&A during the Cold War and the “Golden Age” (1945–1961)

Flight Westward: A Sputtering Start in the United States

New Beginning in the Netherlands

C&A Modes

Total Loss and Reconstruction: C&A Deutschland in East and West

East Germany: The Loss of All the Branches

West Germany: Black Market and Currency Reform

Expansion in the “Economic Miracle”

Development and Expansion of Self-Manufacturing

“Buying for Cash Means Savings at C&A” (“Barkauf ist Sparkauf bei C&A”)

C&A and the Battle about Store Closing Hours

Advertising in the Staid Years of Reconstruction

Golden Years: C&A in the Post-war Boom

Chapter 6 Family or Market? The Succession of Ownership, New Leadership Development and Corporate Governance at C&A

The Problem of Succession in the Terminology of the Principal-Agent Model

Abundance of Children, Education, Internal Competition and Unitas as Answers to the Problem of Succession

Education for Future Leaders

Careers in “the Firm”

Female Managers

From jongelui to ondernemers

Retirement at Age 55

Unitas

Corporate Governance à la C&A: The Institutional Implementation of Unitas

Taking Decisions within the Group of Owners

Transformations in Corporate Group Structure

Chapter 7 Summary

Appendices

The Unitas Principles

Tables

Brenninkmeijer Family Members Employed at C&A

C&A Entrepreneurs in the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, 1911–1961

Number of Employees at C&A Deutschland and C&A Modes

List of C&A Group Firms

Openings of C&A Branches in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom, 1841–1961

Turnover, Profits and Profitability of C&A Groups in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom, 1841–1961

Market Shares of C&A Retail Firms in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom, 1930–1961

Donations of C&A Groups in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom, 1926–1961

Exchange Rates of the Guilder, Mark and Pound to the US Dollar, 1913–1961

Documents

Letter from C&A Head Office to Hermann Göring, 15 October 1937

Letter from Franz Brenninkmeijer to managers at C&A Deutschland, 4 September 1939

Letter from Dr. Rudolf Brenninkmeijer to staff at C&A-Deutschland drafted into military service, 16 July 1941

Letter from Franz Brenninkmeijer to staff at C&A-Deutschland drafted into military service, 2 December 1942

Indices

List of Abbreviations

List of Figures

List of Tables

List of Sources

Bibliography

Subject Index