S.Oliver
Encyclopedia
s.Oliver is a family-owned
German fashion company located in Rottendorf
, Bavaria. The company offers apparel, shoes, accessories, jewellery, fragrances and eyewear.
) as a small boutique
in Würzburg
with only 25 square metres of floor space, named Sir Oliver after the hero of Charles Dickens
novel, Oliver Twist
. To reflect the spirit of the times, the 'Sir' was added to the name in homage to the London fashion scene and to add international flair to the boutique, as the British capital's most successful gentleman's outfitters also featured a 'Sir' in their names.
In the 1970s, fashion suppliers were frequently unable to deliver the quantities ordered by retailers or to deliver them on time. In 1974, Bernd Freier decided to travel to India
to negotiate directly with local textile manufacturers, thereby gaining independence from the wholesalers. Subsequently, he had his own successful range of 'Madras Check shirts' manufactured, which found a ready market in Germany
, sold through, amongst others, E. Breuninger GmbH & Co, Uli Knecht, Wöhrl and Wormland.
In 1978, following a legal dispute with '4711', the eau de Cologne
brand owned by Mäurer & Wirtz GmbH & Co. KG perfume manufacturers, who had registered the name 'Sir' as a trademark, 'Sir Oliver' was changed to the current brand name, 's.Oliver', and registered under that name in 1979 with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) in Munich
. With hindsight, this turned out to be a stroke of luck, as 'Sir Oliver' would probably not have appealed much to the ladies - certainly not as much as 's.Oliver' has done.
In 1987, s.Oliver bought out denim fashion manufacturer Chicago
and re-launched the brand under the name Knockout.
In 1993, Chaloc GmbH was founded, becoming the well-known comma brand in 2002. comma now operates autonomously and completely independent from s.Oliver.
In 1998, the first retail store outside Germany was opened in Austria. Shops in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium
and Luxembourg
soon followed. Over the next few years, s.Oliver carried on expanding in countries such as the Czech Republic
and Poland
. s.Oliver developed in this way into one of Germany's - and Europe
's - leading fashion companies within just a few decades, offering a range of fashion and lifestyle products for all ages.
to marketing
, from human resources
to logistics
and distribution
, are all located at the company headquarters in Rottendorf, Germany, near the university town of Würzburg. This is where the products, which go on to be manufactured in production facilities in Europe
, the Middle East
and Asia
, are developed by different design teams. On an international level there are s.Oliver purchasing organisations in Hong Kong
(China), Hangzhou
(China), Chennai
(India), Bogor
(Indonesia), Dhaka
(Bangladesh) and Istanbul
(Turkey). All logistics are centrally managed in Rottendorf. Logistics and warehouse space occupies 70,900 square metres. Up to 400,000 items of clothing are dispatched from here every day to destinations all around the world. All in all, more than 1.600 s.Oliver Bernd Freier GmbH & Co. KG staff are employed at the Rottendorf headquarters.
, nightwear
, beachwear and homewear for ladies and gentlemen), 's.Oliver Junior' (clothing for newborns, toddlers and children), 'by s.Oliver' (new segment for larger sizes from 44 to 52) as well as 's.Oliver Accessories' (bags, belts and leather goods). Through a range of licensed partners, the company also sells 12 licensed lines, including 's.Oliver Shoes', 's.Oliver Eyewear', 's.Oliver Time', 's.Oliver Jewel', 's.Oliver Home', 's.Oliver Fragrances', 's.Oliver Umbrellas', 's.Oliver Garden' and 's.Oliver Baby'.
- for example, raising funds for stroke victims, or supporting victims of the terrible floods in South India in 2005. For several years now, one important element of the fashion house's company culture has been its commitment to the Special Olympics
Germany. Ever since the event's inauguration back in 1998, s.Oliver has supported athletes, volunteers, and the team that organises the national games. The company is supplying the specially designed official volunteers' outfits for the 2010 national games in Bremen
(Germany), it also supplies the outfits for the whole of the German team attending the World Games. When the earthquake hit Haiti
on the 12th of January 2010, s.Oliver donated from every item sold in the s.Oliver online shop for a week to the victims. The full amount of the donations collected went directly to the victims, without any deductions. s. Oliver is also a sponsor of Würzburg's annual Africa Festival, supporting the fight against Aids
in southern Africa. Donations have also been made to the cancer charity "Hilfe im Kampf gegen Krebs e.V." and the "Togo project" of the German leprosy
and tuberculosis
aid organisation "Deutsche Lepra- und Tuberkulosehilfe" (DAHW). s.Oliver also supported the Germany-based humanitarian aid organisation "Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe"'s efforts for the victims of the cyclone
that hit Bangladesh in 2008.
and Würzburg-born basket ball star Dirk Nowitzki
. As main sponsor and team outfitters of the German Football Club Borussia Dortmund
between 1997 and 1999, the company established a presence outside the fashion world, thereby increasing the level of brand awareness both in Germany and elsewhere. Having sponsored Ralph Schumacher at an earlier stage, s.Oliver showed its commitment to motorsport again in 1999 with their Knock Out brand, becoming Formula 3 driver Timo Schneider's main sponsor. Swiss racing team Benami's Opel Dallara was Knock Out blue all over; and Timo Schneider even dyed his hair blue! In 2003, German Pop singer Dieter Bohlen
, together with his then-girlfriend Estefania, advertised the 's.Oliver Selection men', because '[…] s.Oliver is a really good brand, they've got cool clothes. In 2006, s.Oliver launched a joint fashion collection with pop singer Anastacia
. 2009 saw star violinist David Garrett as the German fashion labels' brand ambassador. In sports sponsorship, s.Oliver has been main sponsor and outfitter of Polish football club Lech Poznan
since March 2010. Since then, the distinctive s.Oliver lettering has been gracing the stadium on perimeter boards, trainer and players' benches and both goals, the team bus, all the club's relevant printed matter and trainers', assistants' and youth outfits. In 2010, after a run of 17 unsuccessful years, Lech Poznan finally won the national championships again and they can compete in the 2010/2011 season UEFA Champions League
2010/11 qualifiers.
, Switzerland
, Belgium
, Poland
, Croatia
, France
, Italy
, Czech Republic
and India
. The company has managed to more than quadruple its turnover since 1995, cracking the billion barrier in 2007. In 2009, the s.Oliver Group generated a brand turnover total of 1.16 billion euros. A once tiny retail store has grown into one of Europe's 20 largest fashion companies. The new head office in Rottendorf was completed in September 2008. s.Oliver celebrated its 40th company anniversary in 2009.
Family business
A family business is a business in which one or more members of one or more families have a significant ownership interest and significant commitments toward the business’ overall well-being....
German fashion company located in Rottendorf
Rottendorf
Rottendorf is a municipality in the district of Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany....
, Bavaria. The company offers apparel, shoes, accessories, jewellery, fragrances and eyewear.
Company history
The company was founded in 1969 by Bernd Freier (who is also its current CEOChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
) as a small boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
with only 25 square metres of floor space, named Sir Oliver after the hero of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
novel, Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens, published by Richard Bentley in 1838. The story is about an orphan Oliver Twist, who endures a miserable existence in a workhouse and then is placed with an undertaker. He escapes and travels to...
. To reflect the spirit of the times, the 'Sir' was added to the name in homage to the London fashion scene and to add international flair to the boutique, as the British capital's most successful gentleman's outfitters also featured a 'Sir' in their names.
In the 1970s, fashion suppliers were frequently unable to deliver the quantities ordered by retailers or to deliver them on time. In 1974, Bernd Freier decided to travel to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to negotiate directly with local textile manufacturers, thereby gaining independence from the wholesalers. Subsequently, he had his own successful range of 'Madras Check shirts' manufactured, which found a ready market in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, sold through, amongst others, E. Breuninger GmbH & Co, Uli Knecht, Wöhrl and Wormland.
In 1978, following a legal dispute with '4711', the eau de Cologne
Eau de Cologne
Eau de Cologne or simply Cologne is a toiletry, a perfume in a style that originated from Cologne, Germany. It is nowadays a generic term for scented formulations in typical concentration of 2-5% essential oils. However as of today cologne is a blend of extracts, alcohol, and water...
brand owned by Mäurer & Wirtz GmbH & Co. KG perfume manufacturers, who had registered the name 'Sir' as a trademark, 'Sir Oliver' was changed to the current brand name, 's.Oliver', and registered under that name in 1979 with the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. With hindsight, this turned out to be a stroke of luck, as 'Sir Oliver' would probably not have appealed much to the ladies - certainly not as much as 's.Oliver' has done.
In 1987, s.Oliver bought out denim fashion manufacturer Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and re-launched the brand under the name Knockout.
In 1993, Chaloc GmbH was founded, becoming the well-known comma brand in 2002. comma now operates autonomously and completely independent from s.Oliver.
In 1998, the first retail store outside Germany was opened in Austria. Shops in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
soon followed. Over the next few years, s.Oliver carried on expanding in countries such as the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. s.Oliver developed in this way into one of Germany's - and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's - leading fashion companies within just a few decades, offering a range of fashion and lifestyle products for all ages.
Company head office
The various departments, from designDesign
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
to marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, from human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
to logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
and distribution
Distribution (business)
Product distribution is one of the four elements of the marketing mix. An organization or set of organizations involved in the process of making a product or service available for use or consumption by a consumer or business user.The other three parts of the marketing mix are product, pricing,...
, are all located at the company headquarters in Rottendorf, Germany, near the university town of Würzburg. This is where the products, which go on to be manufactured in production facilities in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, are developed by different design teams. On an international level there are s.Oliver purchasing organisations in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(China), Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
(China), Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
(India), Bogor
Bogor
Bogor is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency , 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta...
(Indonesia), Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
(Bangladesh) and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
(Turkey). All logistics are centrally managed in Rottendorf. Logistics and warehouse space occupies 70,900 square metres. Up to 400,000 items of clothing are dispatched from here every day to destinations all around the world. All in all, more than 1.600 s.Oliver Bernd Freier GmbH & Co. KG staff are employed at the Rottendorf headquarters.
Products
There are currently three lifestyle worlds (segments) under the s.Oliver brand umbrella, all targeting different buyer types. s.Oliver Casual is the company's largest segment, it focuses on ladies and gents leisure fashion. Trendy and fashionable, QS by s.Oliver is aimed at teenagers and young adults, whereas s.Oliver Selection meets the demands of a more sophisticated audience with a generally understated style. Besides these three main elements, s.Oliver also offers additional product lines like 's.Oliver Bodywear' (lingerieLingerie
Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...
, nightwear
Nightwear
Nightwear, also called "sleepwear", "sleeping suit", "nightclothes", or "nightdress", is clothing designed to be worn while sleeping. The style of nightwear worn may vary with the seasons, with eg. warmer styles being worn in colder conditions...
, beachwear and homewear for ladies and gentlemen), 's.Oliver Junior' (clothing for newborns, toddlers and children), 'by s.Oliver' (new segment for larger sizes from 44 to 52) as well as 's.Oliver Accessories' (bags, belts and leather goods). Through a range of licensed partners, the company also sells 12 licensed lines, including 's.Oliver Shoes', 's.Oliver Eyewear', 's.Oliver Time', 's.Oliver Jewel', 's.Oliver Home', 's.Oliver Fragrances', 's.Oliver Umbrellas', 's.Oliver Garden' and 's.Oliver Baby'.
History
- 1969: First retail store, 'Sir Oliver', opens in Würzburg
- 1978: Renamed to s.Oliver
- 1979: s.Oliver brand registered as a trademark with the German Patent and Trademark Office in Munich, Bavaria
- 1987: Launch of the KNOCKOUT brand
- 1993: Founding of Chaloc Textilhandels GmbH and launch of Chaloc trademark
- 1994: Founding of Textilhandels GmbH Q.S. and launch of the QS brand
- 2001: Takeover of the brand comma
- 2004: Launch of the s.Oliver online shop www.soliver.de
- 2006: Launch of the 'Anastacia by s.Oliver' collection in retail stores
- 2008: Opening and inauguration of the new s.Oliver headquarters in Rottendorf, including 's.Oliver Mini Club', the company's own crècheCrècheCrèche may refer to:*Day care center, an organization of adults who take care of children in place of their parents*Nativity scene, a group of figures arranged to represent the birth of Jesus Christ...
- 2009: Launch of the 'by s.Oliver' brand for larger sizes, opening of an additional office building at Rottendorf headquarters with new staff canteen;
- 2010: 'Peanuts' campaign - s.Oliver sells PeanutsPeanutsPeanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
shirts for one year in aid of the children's charity BILD hilft e.V. - A heart for the children
Corporate citizenship
s.Oliver is involved in positive corporate citizenshipCorporate citizenship
Corporate citizenship is a term used to describe a company's role in, or responsibilities towards society. For this reason it is sometimes used interchangeably with corporate social responsibility, and in fact many companies including Microsoft, IBM and Novartis have used it in this way to describe...
- for example, raising funds for stroke victims, or supporting victims of the terrible floods in South India in 2005. For several years now, one important element of the fashion house's company culture has been its commitment to the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
Germany. Ever since the event's inauguration back in 1998, s.Oliver has supported athletes, volunteers, and the team that organises the national games. The company is supplying the specially designed official volunteers' outfits for the 2010 national games in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
(Germany), it also supplies the outfits for the whole of the German team attending the World Games. When the earthquake hit Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
on the 12th of January 2010, s.Oliver donated from every item sold in the s.Oliver online shop for a week to the victims. The full amount of the donations collected went directly to the victims, without any deductions. s. Oliver is also a sponsor of Würzburg's annual Africa Festival, supporting the fight against Aids
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
in southern Africa. Donations have also been made to the cancer charity "Hilfe im Kampf gegen Krebs e.V." and the "Togo project" of the German leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
and tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
aid organisation "Deutsche Lepra- und Tuberkulosehilfe" (DAHW). s.Oliver also supported the Germany-based humanitarian aid organisation "Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe"'s efforts for the victims of the cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
that hit Bangladesh in 2008.
Sponsorship and testimonials
In the 1990s, the s.Oliver logo featured on the shirts of tennis player Ivan LendlIvan Lendl
Ivan Lendl is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player. Originally from Czechoslovakia, Lendl became a United States citizen. He was one of the game's most dominant players in the 1980s and remained a top competitor into the early 1990s. He is considered to be one of the greatest tennis...
and Würzburg-born basket ball star Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association...
. As main sponsor and team outfitters of the German Football Club Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
between 1997 and 1999, the company established a presence outside the fashion world, thereby increasing the level of brand awareness both in Germany and elsewhere. Having sponsored Ralph Schumacher at an earlier stage, s.Oliver showed its commitment to motorsport again in 1999 with their Knock Out brand, becoming Formula 3 driver Timo Schneider's main sponsor. Swiss racing team Benami's Opel Dallara was Knock Out blue all over; and Timo Schneider even dyed his hair blue! In 2003, German Pop singer Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Bohlen
Dieter Günter Bohlen is a German songwriter, singer, musician, producer, entertainer, TV personality, and writer. Bohlen is best known for being part of popular pop-duo Modern Talking during 1984–1987 and 1998–2003.-Biography:Bohlen took his Abitur in Oldenburg...
, together with his then-girlfriend Estefania, advertised the 's.Oliver Selection men', because '[…] s.Oliver is a really good brand, they've got cool clothes. In 2006, s.Oliver launched a joint fashion collection with pop singer Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
. 2009 saw star violinist David Garrett as the German fashion labels' brand ambassador. In sports sponsorship, s.Oliver has been main sponsor and outfitter of Polish football club Lech Poznan
Lech Poznan
Lech Poznań is a Polish football club based in Poznań, Poland. The club is named after Lech, the legendary founder of Polish nation.The club was established in 1922 as Lutnia Dębiec, later changing its name several times. From 1933 until 1994, the club was closely linked to Polish State Railways...
since March 2010. Since then, the distinctive s.Oliver lettering has been gracing the stadium on perimeter boards, trainer and players' benches and both goals, the team bus, all the club's relevant printed matter and trainers', assistants' and youth outfits. In 2010, after a run of 17 unsuccessful years, Lech Poznan finally won the national championships again and they can compete in the 2010/2011 season UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
2010/11 qualifiers.
s.Oliver today
The company currently owns a total of 173 retail stores, as well as running 400 stores in cooperation with partner companies; its products are also sold in 1,991 shops and feature on 2,507 sales floors. Today, s.Oliver is to be found in more than 30 countries, for example in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The company has managed to more than quadruple its turnover since 1995, cracking the billion barrier in 2007. In 2009, the s.Oliver Group generated a brand turnover total of 1.16 billion euros. A once tiny retail store has grown into one of Europe's 20 largest fashion companies. The new head office in Rottendorf was completed in September 2008. s.Oliver celebrated its 40th company anniversary in 2009.