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New Yorker is planning a modern fashion campus in Braunschweig - future secured!
Braunschweig expands New York headquarters with modern fashion campus. After the death of founder Knapp, the company is planning extensive changes.
New Yorker is planning a modern fashion campus in Braunschweig - future secured!
The Braunschweig-based textile group New Yorker is facing exciting changes, both in its corporate structure and in its architecture. After the company founder Friedrich Knapp died in November 2024, the question of his successor is up in the air. Knapp, who founded the company in 1971 and ran it as the sole head until his death, leaves behind sales of around three billion euros and an impressive number of employees of over 23,000 in almost 50 countries. Jörg Nowicki, an experienced industry expert, expressed concerns about the future of the brand, as Knapp himself had not made a clear succession plan and the family now has to hold the reins firmly.
Knapp felt fit until the end and often declared: “70 is the new 50.” But from December 2023 onwards, his health deteriorated, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from operational business. His daughter Sophie Knapp could be considered as the successor. She studied in China and earned a master's degree in fashion marketing. She also already serves on the company's supervisory board and now has to make decisive decisions, especially with regard to online trading, which her father previously viewed with skepticism. So the challenges are great, and it remains to be seen how the new management will lead the brand into a digital future. According to NDR, the first signs of strategic change can already be felt.
New headquarters in planning
But the company is not resting on its laurels. A comprehensive expansion and renovation of the headquarters on Hansestrasse in Braunschweig is currently being planned. The Hamburg architectural firm HadiTeherani has won the architectural competition and is to design a new “Fashion Campus”, which is currently described as a walk-in sculpture. The aim is to create modern work and creative spaces, including offices, meeting rooms, open spaces, an outlet, a company restaurant and even a company kindergarten. The work is expected to be completed in four to five years, and the number of employees, which has long been around 1,300 central employees, is expected to grow to 1,500.
This new campus should not only serve well-understood progress, but also act as a monument to Friedrich Knapp in order to strengthen the corporate culture. The focus is on an atmosphere that promotes identity and cohesion. New Yorker's profits rose from 627 to 760 million euros in 2024 - a sign that the brand is still in good shape and confidence in the future is high, as News38 reports.
The textile industry has also recognized signs of a changing market situation. Given developments such as the growth of D2C brands and the growing importance of online commerce, it is urgent for New Yorkers to rethink their strategy. The challenge of finding the balance between traditional sales channels and digital offerings will become a key task for the future, especially with the upcoming succession.
It remains exciting to see how New Yorker will perform on the market both under new management and in terms of structural changes. In the fashion industry, which is developing rapidly, you now need a good hand to successfully master the next steps.