September 13, 2026, 1:03 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
For nearly 30 years, Innova was a nationally recognized Berlin institution, as the electronics retailer’s concept was unique from the start. At Innova, price negotiations were not frowned upon but explicitly encouraged. That ended in 2016.
What set Innova apart from other electronics retailers was not the product range but the attitude. While haggling was considered inappropriate at other retailers and department stores, it was part of the concept at Innova. This was unusual enough in the German retail sector at the end of the 1980s to make headlines.
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From Storefront to Nationwide Trading Group
The history of Innova Handelshaus AG began in 1987 on Riehlstraße at Kaiserdamm in Berlin, with 100 square meters of sales space and only four employees. “Innova has almost everything, except expensive,” was one of the first advertising messages—a concept that was set to succeed. In the following decades, the branch network steadily expanded to over 20 locations, including nine specialty stores with up to 6,000 square meters of space. Because the concept struck a chord with customers, 28 businesses nationwide joined as partners.
As early as 1990, Innova also founded a customer club. Members benefited from discounts and extended warranties.
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The Product Range Grew Steadily
Buoyed by success, the product range also grew significantly: After consumer electronics and household appliances, built-in kitchens, bathroom fittings, furniture, shoes, and gift items were added. In the end, even four of its own travel agencies in Berlin were part of the company. At the height of its success, over 300 people worked for Innova, generating annual sales of 120 million euros. The small Berlin electronics retailer had become a public company.
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The Internet Accelerated the Decline
In April 2016, Innova’s success story came to an end, as a credit insurer refused further financing, leaving the company with no choice but to file for bankruptcy. Efforts to turn things around on their own failed, and by summer 2016, only liquidation, or sell-off, remained.
The exact reasons for the company’s failure were never officially published in detail. However, a hint was provided by the man who ultimately organized the sell-off. Kurt Zass of the liquidation company MHZ told the newspaper Tagesspiegel: “Falling margins, competitive pressure in the industry, and online trading severely affected the company.”
Many retail companies were struggling with these three influences at the time, but Innova’s own brand promise likely became its downfall. Being “always cheaper than the competition” is difficult when customers have complete price transparency thanks to the internet. And staying competitive with online retail is almost impossible when expensive retail spaces in Berlin also need to be financed.
In the end, a credit insurer pulled the plug, as manufacturers and wholesalers who no longer see their claims insured immediately stop their deliveries. So, Berliners are left with only the memory of a company with a unique concept.