EK Retail and Groupe SEB launch strategic cooperation built on more than 60 years of partnership / EK Retail to take over exclusive supply of specialist retailers as part of the “WMF Brand Service” / Orders via the WMF warehouse in Dornstadt will be discontinued
Bielefeld/Geislingen a.d. Steige, 21 January 2026 – The multi-sector retail group EK Retail and Groupe SEB, which includes the premium brand WMF, are deepening their successful collaboration and sending a clear signal for the future of brick‑and‑mortar specialist retail. Starting 1 February 2026, a strategic cooperation will begin under the motto “Shaping the future of specialist retail together”. The partnership will strengthen retailers sustainably through optimised processes and brand expertise from a single source. As part of the new “WMF Brand Service”, specialist retailers with a WMF brand shop in Germany will in future be supplied exclusively via EK Retail’s wholesale operations. This means that orders via the WMF warehouse in Dornstadt will no longer be required.
By consistently aligning with the needs of retailers, both companies are setting a clear signal for the future of physical specialist retail. Centralised delivery via EK Retail’s wholesale operations reduces complexity in ordering processes, improves planning reliability, enables fast delivery and ensures access to the comprehensive service portfolio retailers are familiar with. Close coordination between both cooperation partners regarding product ranges, listings, promotions and trade fair offerings allows for a centrally coordinated marketing plan and unified POS design.
“Our goal is to support specialist retailers in their role as competent partners for premium products. The cooperation with our partner WMF is an important step towards offering retailers genuine added value,” explains Jochen Pohle, Chief Retail Officer at EK Retail. Susanne Heiduczek, General Manager of EK Home Housewares, adds: “With the WMF Brand Service, we give retailers the opportunity to source WMF products quickly and efficiently through our ordering portal, ensuring optimal product presence at the POS.”
WMF also sees major opportunities in the collaboration: “A strong specialist retail sector is of high strategic importance to us. By taking our cooperation with EK Retail to the next level and simplifying ordering processes, we are giving retailers the best possible conditions to work successfully with our brand,” says Fenno de Boer, Vice President Sales, Groupe SEB WMF Consumer GmbH. Jens Biermann, Account Director at Groupe SEB WMF Consumer GmbH, adds: “Our strong relationships with specialist retail partners have grown over many years. We want to further strengthen this foundation of trust. By consolidating logistics through EK Retail, we can focus on what really matters: great advice and strong service at the POS.”
The cooperation begins on 1 February 2026 and includes the entire WMF product range for specialist retailers in Germany. A transition phase until the end of April 2026 will ensure a smooth switch. After the transition, from 1 May onwards, orders and deliveries of the WMF product range for specialist retailers will be handled exclusively via EK Wholesale. Order processing and data exchange will continue to run through familiar systems such as the EK ordering portal, EK media centre, and nmedia hub.
The SEB field sales team will continue to provide advisory support and assist with order entry. In addition, as before, the brands Silit, Kaiser, Tefal, Rowenta, Krups and Emsa can be sourced collectively through the EK warehouse.
