In 1962, Uwe Schröder and his then business partner Hans-Heinrich Pünjer found Henke & Co. in Hamburg. Initially, the company imports terry towels from India and sell them in Germany.
Over the following years, the range progressively expands to include shirts, underwear and corduroy trousers for men. The two founders market the first corduroy trousers under the name "Tom".
The company grows and Schröder and Pünjer quickly realise that they need a catchy and memorable company name that would work both in international markets and in Germany. At the cutting table the idea comes to them: they extend the previously established name "Tom" adding the English term "Tailor". The TOM TAILOR brand was born. In 1979, the first sportswear collection launches under the new brand name.
In the mid-1990s, the company broadens its product range with a collection for children and, in cooperation with various licensing partners, an extensive range of accessories further enriches TOM TAILOR's world of fashion. Just a few years later, the TOM TAILOR Women line was introduced into the company's portfolio.
In 2006 Dieter Holzer joins the company as the new managing director and later chairman of the board. Uwe Schröder, on the other hand, leaves the Management Board and joins the Supervisory Board of TOM TAILOR. In the following years, the company changes from a pure wholesale supplier to a vertically integrated system supplier. Retail now represents a key strategic element for growth.
As part of this, the TOM TAILOR e-shop launches in 2006. The aim is to make TOM TAILOR's brand world easier for customers to reach through its online presence and at the same time to enhance the emotional appeal. Just one year later, the launch of the TOM TAILOR Denim brand catches the attention of the young adult market.
In March 2010, the Company goes public as TOM TAILOR Holding AG. Since then it was listed in the Prime Standard segment, since 2020 in the General Standard, on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the regulated market of the Hamburg Stock Exchange. From June 2010 to December 2015, the Company was listed in the small-cap index (SDAX). The proceeds from the IPO are used to accelerate the Group's international expansion. Moreover, the brand portfolio is expanded in 2010 with the addition of TOM TAILOR Baby.
A year later the Company establishes its own procurement organization, TOM TAILOR Sourcing Ltd. in Hong Kong, replacing external agents with an in-house sourcing function.
In August 2012, the TOM TAILOR Group acquires BONITA, one of Germany’s leading fashion brand producers and retailers for the over-50 female target group. The motto of the relationship is: product competence meets retail excellence. While BONITA has one of the best retail organizations for textiles in Germany and Europe, TOM TAILOR is distinguished by its outstanding analytical design and product development process and its ability to respond quickly and flexibly to market trends.
In the autumn of the same year, the Group takes over the management of the children's fashion business of ADLER. Shortly afterwards the Company expands its portfolio with the rollout of the premium sportswear brand TOM TAILOR Polo Team.
December 2012 sees the Europe-wide launch of the e-shop, making TOM TAILOR brands available to online customers outside Germany. Soon afterwards BONITA launches its own e-shop.
Dieter Holzer leaves the company in September 2016. His successor as CEO is Dr Heiko Schäfer, who has been working as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the TOM TAILOR Group since 2015. The newly formed management, consisting of Dr Heiko Schäfer, Thomas Dressendörfer and Liam Devoy, from now on placed the profitability of the group at the centre of the corporate strategy.
With the appointment of Karsten Oberheide in January 2019 as head of the newly created BONITA Management Board, the subsidiary will be given more independence and the restructuring of BONITA continues to be consistently pursued. With the successful signing of the consortium loan agreement in autumn 2019 and the support of the majority shareholder Fosun, the company is now focusing fully on its core competencies and strong core brands with the aim of turning the TOM TAILOR Group into a sustainable high-growth and profitable company.
Dr Gernot Lenz will take over as CEO of TOM TAILOR Holding SE from Dr. Heiko Schäfer as of 1 November 2019. At the same time, Christian Werner becomes the company’s new CFO and completes the Executive Board, consisting of Dr Gernot Lenz (CEO), Christian Werner (CFO) and Karsten Oberheide (Ressort BONITA).
The TOM TAILOR Group looks to the future: with strong brand positioning, increased efficiency, and the digitalisation of work and business processes.