Douwe Egberts
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into JDE Peet's. (Discuss) Proposed since February 2025. |
 | |
 Douwe Egberts building in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2002 | |
| Product type | Coffee |
|---|---|
| Owner | JDE Peet's |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Introduced | 1753 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Sara Lee Corporation (1978-2012) |
| Tagline | "No ordinary jar. No ordinary coffee." |
| Website | www |
Douwe Egberts is a Dutch brand specialising in coffee and related products. Originating in Joure, Netherlands, in 1753, it began as De Witte Os (The White Ox), a general grocery shop. The company later started dealing specifically in coffee, tea, and tobacco. By 1925, it had changed its name to Douwe Egberts (as in Douwe, the son of Egbert) and introduced its logo, a red seal with a "D.E." initialism.[1]
Today, Douwe Egberts owned by of JDE Peet's, a Dutch global coffee and tea company.[2] The brand is marketed to retail consumers in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Netherlands and South Africa.[3][4][5]
History
[edit]
Douwe Egberts' origins are in Joure, Netherlands where Egbert Douwes established a grocery shop called "De Witte Os" ("The White Ox") in 1752. The company transferred to his eldest son Douwe Egberts in 1780, from whom it adopted its current name.[6]
Its former tobacco brand White Ox was named for the original De Witte Os grocery store in Joure; Douwe Egberts sold White Ox to Imperial Tobacco in 1998.
In May 2017, Douwe Egberts launched aluminium coffee capsules across supermarkets.[7]
Court case against the Province of Groningen
[edit]In 2007, Douwe Egberts sued the Dutch Province of Groningen for requiring coffee machine suppliers to meet the EKO organic standard[8] and fairtrade criteria established by Stichting Max Havelaar, specifically a minimum price and development premium. Douwe Egberts, which marketed its own ethically sourced coffee brands, claimed the requirements were discriminatory. The Province of Groningen prevailed in court.[9] According to Coen de Ruiter, director of Stichting Max Havelaar, the victory was a landmark, enabling governments to mandate fair trade coffee in purchasing policy to support poverty reduction efforts.[10]
Merger into JDE Peet's
[edit]At the end of 2019, the company merged with Peet's Coffee and the two continue under the new name JDE Peet's.[2] At the end of May 2020, this company was listed on the Euronext Amsterdam.[11] JDE Peet's has an annual turnover of approximately €7 billion.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Heritage". demasterblenders1753.com.
- ^ a b Cheng, Andria. "With Merger And Possible IPO, Peet's Coffee May Finally Become A Real Challenger Against Starbucks". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Douwe Egberts Country Selector". www.douwe-egberts.com. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
- ^ "F-1/A". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
- ^ "Coffee prices at record high after bad weather". www.bbc.com. 2024-12-11. Retrieved 2025-02-15.
- ^ "Douwe Egberts Heritagecenter". www.heritagecenter.info. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ "Douwe Egberts also releases aluminium coffee capsules". RetailDetail. 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2017-11-03.
- ^ "DO-IT | EKO". 2020-10-24. Archived from the original on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ Groningen District Court, Civil Section, Judgment in preliminary relief proceedings, Douwe Egberts Coffee Systems Netherlands B.V. v. the Province of Groningen, 23 November 2007 (ECLI:NL:RBGRO:2007:BB8575)
- ^ Max Havelaar Foundation (2007), [85.82.218.199/fileadmin/Bruger_filer/Dokument_database/IKAvaerktoej/EU_siden/Max_Havalaar.pdf Dutch Province of Groningen wins summary brought by Douwe Egberts and can continue specifying fair trade coffee] [dead link]
- ^ "Douwe Egberts hoopt op flinke groei na terugkeer op de beurs". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ^ Cheng, Andria. "With Merger And Possible IPO, Peet's Coffee May Finally Become A Real Challenger Against Starbucks". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Douwe Egberts at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
