Drawing of the first P&C building in Düsseldorf

Our history

The early years
1900 - 1920
1900 - 1920
A picture of the founders Johann Theodor Peek (left) and Heinrich Anton Adolph Cloppenburg around 1900
Eine Skizze des Verkaufshauses in Berlin ca. 1900
Peek & Cloppenburg store in Berlin around 1910

1901

Founding of the company “Peek & Cloppenburg*” and opening of the first store for men's and boys' clothing on Schadowstraße in Düsseldorf. The Berlin store was opened a short time later.

Introduction of the first standardised sizing system for men's clothing, making it possible for the first time to produce goods in advance to keep in stock. Only high-quality materials were used – at the time, these tended to be reserved for bespoke tailoring. From the very beginning, there was also a strong focus on modern presentation of the merchandise and the provision of dependable customer service.

1906

Renovation work to expand the Berlin store, which had become necessary due to the wide range of products and the need for presentation space. An impressive building over 25 metres high was created, with five floors for sales and administration.

1911

Following their success in Berlin and Düsseldorf, the partners decide to set up another company in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg. A new and independent company, Peek & Cloppenburg, is founded in Hamburg with its own independent sales outlets.

The launch of “mail order”: P&C sends out its first illustrated price lists with an overview of the current product range. This makes Peek & Cloppenburg one of the first companies in the mail-order fashion trade.

The golden years
1921 - 1940
1921 - 1940
A black and white photograph of the receiving area and stock records in the Berlin store around 1930.
Delivery van parade in front of the P&C building in Berlin's Gertraudtenstraße. A black and white photo.
Advertisement from 1930, drawing, man in a suit sitting on a chair

The 1920s

During the economic boom of the twenties, P&C supplies the people of Düsseldorf and Berlin with elegant fashions, underlining the fact that having its own production facilities allows the company to react quickly to fashion trends, closely oversee production and offer products at competitive prices.

The buildings in Düsseldorf and Berlin are modernised and a new branch is opened in Berlin-Steglitz.

P&C creates its own logo with its unmistakable red and blue coat of arms.

The 1930s

P&C responds to requests from customers and adds womenswear to its product range. This makes P&C the first full-range retailer for the whole family.

Meanwhile, P&C continues to expand. The store on Frankfurt's Zeil is opened, followed a year later by a further branch in Essen.

50 years of Peek & Cloppenburg
1941 - 1970
1941 - 1970
The P&C building in Berlin destroyed by the war in 1945
An advert for the 50th anniversary of P&C, drawing, a woman and a man in trench coats
The large P&C store in Frankfurt, illuminated for Christmas, ca. 1955

1945

Not a single P&C store survived the war so the reconstruction phase now begins. During this time, P&C offers its regular customers “garments made from fabrics they have supplied themselves”.

1951

In 1951, P&C celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The “economic miracle”, a period of rapid reconstruction and growth in Germany, leads to expansion and further store openings. The 50-metre-long low-rise building in Berlin-Steglitz is extended and fitted with a glass superstructure that floods the store with light. The store in Frankfurt am Main is also enlarged through the acquisition of a neighbouring building and now has six floors.

The first ´Weltstadthaus`
1971 - 1990
1971 - 1990
Data processing at P&C: A black and white photo. A man and a computer, ca. 1970
The modern and illuminated P&C Weltstadthaus on the Frankfurt Zeil
Glazed ANSONS store in Berlin

The 1970s

P&C continues its expansion and opens stores in other major cities in prime locations as well as in promising shopping centers. The sales areas become larger and larger, laying the foundation for the later P&C Weltstadthäuser.

1970

With innovative campaigns, Peek & Cloppenburg positions itself as the fashion house for high-quality brands.

1971

Peek & Cloppenburg designs advertisements for extravagant women's fashion.

The 1980s

A total of 11 new stores open in the 1980s.

1988

Since the construction of the first Weltstadthaus in Frankfurt am Main, P&C has been designing its large stores to world-class architectural standards.

1989

Official foundation and opening of the first ANSON’S store, offering exclusively men's fashion.

International expansion
1991 - 2010
1991 - 2010
Advertisement from the fashion magazine Vogue. A woman in a white dress and blue blazer smiles into the camera.
The Weltstadthaus on Mariahilfer Strasse in Vienna with a white façade
Glazed P&C Weltstadthaus in Düsseldorf on Schadowstraße

The 1990s

With the growing importance of brands, P&C decides to include brands from other manufacturers in its range, alongside goods from its own production, in order to position itself as a guarantor of high-quality clothing from the full range of suppliers. Always with a strong focus on high quality and ensuring a fashionable and stylish range.

P&C expands abroad, opening stores in Belgium and the Netherlands. The first Austrian stores open in Vienna and Vösendorf.

1998

With 13 store openings, this is a record-breaking year for expansion for Peek & Cloppenburg.

2001

P&C introduces their customer loyalty card to provide benefits to customers in Germany and Austria.

To mark the company’s centenary, a new "Weltstadthaus" is opened on Schadowstraße in Düsseldorf, on exactly the same site where the Düsseldorf flagship store had stood 100 years earlier. With six floors, the new store is twice the size of the “old” P&C store.

In the years to follow, P&C opens and updates numerous other stores, including a number of flagship stores in major international cities, with the aim of making a unique statement in each city, enriching it and creating a unique shopping experience for customers. Various architects are commissioned to design the stores in Düsseldorf, Berlin and Cologne.

2007

Switzerland’s first P&C store opens in Zurich.

In Eastern Europe, there are already stores in Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and Hungary.

P&C goes online
2011 - today
2011 - today
Front view of the Magasin du Nord store in Kassel
Office ambience. Woman in yellow T-shirt sits smiling at the computer
Front view of the P&C Conscious Fashion Store in Berlin at Potsdamer Platz

2011

The new P&C "Weltstadthaus" on Kärtnerstrasse in Vienna opens its doors.

2013

The online store “Fashion ID” is launched in Germany.

2014

The International Brands Company is founded. It is responsible for P&C's own brands. Today, these are sold exclusively through P&C.

2016

Austria’s online store goes live.

2017

The company switches over to an SAP retail system, data-based customer loyalty programmes and a state-of-the-art merchandising and procurement system.

2018

Poland’s P&C online store goes live.

2019

Launch of the online store of our subsidiary ANSON'S Herrenhaus KG on ansons.de, operated by Fashion ID GmbH & Co. KG, and the launch of P&C online sales in the Netherlands.

Acquisition of the luxury online platform Stylebop by Fashion ID GmbH & Co. KG.

2021

P&C takes over the Danish department store chain Magasin du Nord. At the same time, the first ANSON'S store opens in Eastern Europe.

2022

Opening of the first Magasin du Nord store in Kassel, operated by ANSON'S Herrenhaus KG.

2023

The Conscious Fashion Store opens in Berlin, focusing on sustainable fashion and conscious consumption.