Reformhaus
Encyclopedia
Reformhaus is a German
/Austria
n retailer that specializes in groceries and personal care products according to the principles of the 19th-century Lebensreform
movement, for example the products are vegetarian, often (but not necessarily) organic
, and free of synthetic preservatives. (In English-speaking countries this particular form of retail shop is usually called a health food store
.)
The first Reformhaus store opened in Wuppertal
in 1900. In 1927 the neuform cooperative of Reformhaus owners was founded which is responsible for central purchasing, quality assurance, and marketing.
As of January 2007, there are 1,662 Reformhäuser in Germany and a total of 2,980 retail outlets in Germany and Austria.
It was reported in 2009 that Reformhaus revenues were in decline as other German organic grocers took away business, probably because grocery selection in a Reformhaus is typically relatively limited. To counter this development, a new flagship store with a larger floor area and product selection was opened in Frankfurt
.
, Traditional Chinese medicine
, and ecology
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
/Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n retailer that specializes in groceries and personal care products according to the principles of the 19th-century Lebensreform
Lebensreform
Lebensreform was a social movement in late 19th-century and early 20th-century Germany and Switzerland that propagated a back-to-nature lifestyle, emphasizing among others health food/raw food/organic food, nudism, sexual liberation, alternative medicine, and religious reform and at the same time...
movement, for example the products are vegetarian, often (but not necessarily) organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
, and free of synthetic preservatives. (In English-speaking countries this particular form of retail shop is usually called a health food store
Health food store
A health food store is a type of grocery store that primarily sells health food, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements...
.)
The first Reformhaus store opened in Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
in 1900. In 1927 the neuform cooperative of Reformhaus owners was founded which is responsible for central purchasing, quality assurance, and marketing.
As of January 2007, there are 1,662 Reformhäuser in Germany and a total of 2,980 retail outlets in Germany and Austria.
It was reported in 2009 that Reformhaus revenues were in decline as other German organic grocers took away business, probably because grocery selection in a Reformhaus is typically relatively limited. To counter this development, a new flagship store with a larger floor area and product selection was opened in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
Reformhaus-Fachakademie
In 1956, the Reformhaus-Fachakademie was founded in Oberursel, an education center that serves both aspiring Reformhaus owners and their staff and the wider community. The center offers seminars on topics such as nutritionNutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
.