Karwei.nl is owned and operated by Intergamma B.V., the Dutch retail company behind the Karwei and GAMMA brands. Karwei is not an independent publicly listed company. It is a retail formula within Intergamma, which operates through a franchise model in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The ownership becomes more interesting one level above Intergamma B.V. Intergamma is ultimately controlled through Intergamma Coöperatief U.A., whose members are independent franchise entrepreneurs. Intergamma says its franchisees are shareholders and have a voice in the company’s strategy and policy.
Who owns Karwei.nl?
Intergamma B.V. owns and operates Karwei.nl. The company’s own webshop terms identify Intergamma B.V. as the legal entrepreneur behind the Karwei webshop and karwei.nl. The company is registered in Leusden, Netherlands, under Chamber of Commerce number 31021056.
Karwei’s privacy policy also identifies Karwei as a subsidiary or formula of Intergamma and states that Intergamma is responsible for processing customer data connected with the website.
So, for an online purchase made through Karwei.nl, the legal company behind the webshop is Intergamma B.V.
Who owns Intergamma?
Intergamma has a franchise-based ownership structure.
The company says its independent franchisees are shareholders of Intergamma. They operate GAMMA and Karwei stores while Intergamma’s head office handles areas such as central purchasing, logistics, e-commerce, marketing, IT and product assortment.
At the group level, Intergamma Coöperatief U.A. sits above Intergamma’s operating companies. Intergamma’s corporate history says that Intergamma B.V. and Intergamma Bouwmarkten B.V. became subsidiaries of Intergamma Coöperatief U.A. through Intergamma Holding B.V. after a governance restructuring.
The cooperative structure gives franchisees a direct role in the business. Intergamma says franchisees have a major say in strategy and policy and are represented through formula councils.
Is Karwei owned by a private equity company?
No. There is no evidence in the current ownership information from Intergamma that Karwei is controlled by a private-equity firm.
The business is structured around Intergamma and its franchisee shareholders. Intergamma’s current corporate information identifies Joost de Beijer as CEO and Laura Hendrickx as CFO of Intergamma Coöperatief U.A.
When did Intergamma acquire Karwei?
Intergamma acquired Karwei Holland Nationaal B.V. in 1991.
Before that acquisition, Intergamma had already established GAMMA as a major Dutch DIY chain. Its corporate history says the organisation moved toward large-scale DIY retail in the early 1990s and bought Karwei Holland Nationaal in 1991.
Karwei subsequently became one of Intergamma’s main retail formulas alongside GAMMA.
The two brands are aimed at somewhat different customers. Intergamma describes GAMMA as being more focused on the practical or construction-oriented DIY customer, while Karwei places greater emphasis on style and home atmosphere.
Who owns the Karwei stores?
The stores do not all have the same direct owner.
Some Karwei stores are operated directly by Intergamma, while others are run by independent franchisees. Karwei’s privacy policy explicitly states that some of its stores belong to Intergamma and others are operated by franchise businesses under the Karwei formula.
This distinction is important when looking at Karwei’s ownership.
Intergamma owns the Karwei formula and operates karwei.nl, but an individual Karwei store may be owned or operated by a separate franchise entrepreneur.
The franchisee uses the Karwei brand and operates under Intergamma’s commercial system.
How many stores does Intergamma operate?
Intergamma says it has nearly 400 stores across the Netherlands and Belgium under the GAMMA and Karwei formulas. It also operates extensive webshops for the brands.
In October 2025, Intergamma announced that it had acquired the former Budé Holding stores. The transaction added nine GAMMA stores and four Karwei stores, with 443 employees. After the acquisition, Intergamma said the number of GAMMA and Karwei stores directly managed by the company had reached 174, including 153 in the Netherlands.
The remaining stores include locations operated by franchise entrepreneurs.
Is Karwei.nl a Dutch company?
Yes. Karwei.nl is operated by Intergamma B.V., which is based in Leusden, Netherlands.
Karwei’s webshop terms give Intergamma B.V.’s registered address as Storkstraat 2, 3833 LB Leusden. The same document identifies Intergamma B.V. as the company trading as the Karwei webshop and karwei.nl.
The website is therefore part of a Dutch retail organisation rather than a standalone online marketplace.
Who runs Intergamma today?
Intergamma’s current management includes Joost de Beijer as CEO and Laura Hendrickx as CFO.
The company is governed through Intergamma Coöperatief U.A. Its supervisory board includes Jacques van den Broek as chairman, a position he took in 2023 after previously serving as CEO of Randstad.
The management team runs the central organisation, while franchisees remain involved in the ownership and governance structure.
How does Karwei make money?
Karwei generates revenue by selling home-improvement, DIY, furniture, decoration, garden and related products through its stores and online shop.
Intergamma provides the central infrastructure behind the formula. Its services include purchasing, logistics and supply chain management, e-commerce, IT, HR, training, marketing and communications.
The franchise model allows individual entrepreneurs to run stores while using Intergamma’s established brand, purchasing power and central services.
In short: Karwei.nl is an Intergamma business, and Intergamma is ultimately owned through a cooperative structure involving its franchisee shareholders.
