Hussel GmbH is a German confectionery retailer founded in 1949. Hussel operates around 137 retail shops in Germany and Austria. In addition, Hussel sells its products online. Approximately 1,300 employees work for Hussel. Hussel's headquarters is in Wahlstedt in Schleswig-Holstein and its chairman is Patrick G. Weber.[1]
History
Named after the founder Rudolf Hussel, the company was founded in 1949 in Hagen. In 1951, Hussel operated 10 fully owned retail shops. By 1957, the number of retail shops grew to about 100 and the company changed its focus from mass produced ware to high quality premium confectionery.[2] In 1962, the firm reincorporated as a publicly traded stock company ("AG"). Under the leadership of then CEO Herbert Eklöh Hussel AG expanded and diversified into other, non-food retail sectors, especially into perfume retailing. In 1969, Hussel acquired 6 retail shops of the perfume retailer Douglas (cosmetics) in Hamburg.[3] Part and parcel of this development was the restructuring of Hussel AG in 1972 into a holding structure with two operating companies: one for confectionery and one for perfume. Due to additional acquisitions and the increasing importance of perfume retailing within the Hussel Holding AG, further corporate restructuring followed, leading to the inception of the Douglas Holding AG that replaced the Hussel Holding AG.