The Humble Beginnings of C&A

Nowadays C&A is a major clothing and footwear retailer operating hundreds of stores across Europe, Mexico, Brazil and China. However, it all started in the small town of Sneek in Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands.

In the early 19th century, the two German brothers Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer traveled each year to Friesland to sell textile and linen to the local farmers. In 1841, they established their first business in Sneek and called it C&A Brenninkmeijer. The company logo has changed since then but still contains the initials of the two brothers Clemens and August.