Mes Amis – Mey
Friendly takeover
With its Mes Amis concept stores, the family-owned company Mey broke new ground in 2019 with an approach that could solve many problems in the industry: the loss of expertise in retail, often caused by generational change. This is just one aspect of the economic cleverness that characterizes this concept.
Text: Isabel Faiss. Photos: Mey
"An important motivation was that we were increasingly confronted with business closures—long-established specialist retailers who had to close due to age and were unable to find a successor. We didn't just want to fill these gaps, we wanted to see them as an opportunity to further develop our understanding of modern specialist retail. This is how Mes Amis came about," says Matthias Mey, describing the story that began with the first investments in 2019. The opening after the takeover of the first Mes Amis store in Heidelberg took place in January 2022. There are now ten stores in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, in cities such as Salzburg, Mainz, and Aschaffenburg. "We deliberately focus on medium-sized cities with a stable retail structure and close customer loyalty. Many of our locations have emerged from existing specialty stores, which we continue to operate—with respect for their history and a clear view to the future." Against this backdrop, Mey is always open to further partnerships, provided they fit in with the philosophy of the concept.
Matthias Mey made his business decision with strategic foresight, because in addition to securing his own market, it also has other valuable aspects. Through his stores, Mey has not only established himself as an equal partner to renowned specialist retailers in the lingerie segment, but is also taking advantage of the opportunity to present his brand in a correspondingly high-quality environment with carefully curated product ranges. In addition to the synergy effects in purchasing, the expertise and experience that this extreme proximity to the market and customers brings with it is also a brilliant move. In addition to the Mey collections, Mes Amis presents other European brands in the areas of lingerie, swimwear, jewelry, home and sleepwear, accessories, and beauty as a holistic lifestyle concept. For Matthias Mey, these opportunities in assortment design, combined with the expertise of teams that have been working together for years and decades and employees who have been taken on, are the USP: "We are often approached by owners who are passionate about selling but cannot find a successor. We continue to run such businesses with the aim of maintaining quality and trust – while at the same time providing new impetus. The big difference is the depth of our advice. Especially in the lingerie sector, the expertise of our employees is crucial. Our teams can respond to individual needs – from the perfect fit to the right brand. This knowledge and proximity to customers clearly sets us apart from many vertical providers." Mes Amis has also had its own online shop since December 2025.
