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Quelle

Quelle is the German word for source or origin and is used widely in the language. It is also the name of a former major German mail-order company that rose to prominence in the postwar period.

The company was founded in 1927 in Fürth, Bavaria, by entrepreneur Gustav Schickedanz. Its mail-order catalog

In 1999, Quelle merged with the department store group Karstadt to form KarstadtQuelle AG, a holding that

Beyond its corporate history, the word Quelle remains a common German noun meaning “source” or “origin.” The

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offered
a
broad
range
of
goods,
from
clothing
to
household
items
and
later
electronics.
Through
efficient
logistics
and
a
nationwide
distribution
network,
Quelle
became
one
of
Europe’s
largest
mail-order
retailers
and
played
a
significant
role
in
shaping
consumer
shopping
in
Germany
during
the
mid-
to
late
20th
century.
later
carried
the
larger
Arcandor
brand
name.
Facing
financial
difficulties,
Arcandor
filed
for
insolvency
in
2009,
and
the
Quelle
catalog
and
related
retail
operations
were
gradually
wound
down.
The
brand
was
largely
phased
out
as
a
standalone
retailer
in
the
following
years,
although
remnants
and
licensed
uses
persisted
in
limited
forms.
rise
and
fall
of
Quelle
is
often
cited
in
discussions
of
retail
history
as
an
example
of
the
shift
from
traditional
catalog
shopping
to
integrated,
multi-channel
retailing
and,
eventually,
to
online
commerce.