Douwe Egberts (often abbreviated as DE) is a Dutch corporation that processes and trades coffee, tea, and other groceries. Its full name is Douwe Egberts Koninklijke Tabaksfabriek-Koffiebranderijen-Theehandel Naamloze Vennootschap, which translates as "Douwe Egberts Royal Tobacco Factory - Coffee Roasters - Tea Traders, Plc.". Douwe Egberts is now a subsidiary of the Sara Lee Corporation. Many people in the Netherlands collect DE coupons printed on packs of coffee, packets of tea and on the labels of pots of instant coffee. These coupons, each worth a few eurocents, may be traded for gifts at special DE giftshops; often money needs to be paid in addition to the coupons.
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Chronology
- 1753 - Egbert Douwes starts a grocery shop in Joure, called De Witte Os ("the White Ox").
- 1780 - The company is transferred to his eldest son Douwe Egberts. Its main activities are processing and trading coffee, tea, and tobacco.
- 1948 - DE starts sales in Belgium. France, Spain, and Denmark follow.
- 1968 - A holding company, Douwe Egberts Koninklijke ("Royal Douwe Egberts"), is founded.
- 1969 - DE takes over Kanis & Gunnink, another Dutch coffee manufacturer.
- 1978 - DE is in its turn taken over by the Sara Lee Corporation.
- 1989 - DE takes over Van Nelle, its main Dutch competitor in coffee, tea, and tobacco.
- 1998 - The hand-rolling tobacco business (Drum, Van Nelle, Amphora and Winner) is sold to Imperial Tobacco.
- 2001 - The company joins forces with Philips to produce a coffee maker called Senseo.
Brands
- Douwe Egberts (coffee)
- Pickwick tea
- Lassie (rice)
- Natrena (artificial sweeteners)
- Kanis & Gunnink (coffee)
- Sanex (products for the bath and shower, and deodorants)
- Senseo (coffee-maker, in conjunction with Philips)
- Douwe Egberts Coffee Systems (drinks supply)
- Douwe Egberts Coffee Care (drinks supply)
- Piazza d'Oro (espresso)
- Cafitesse (coffee concentrates and systems)
- Moccona (instant coffee)
- Cafe Switch, a frothy coffee drink that is frothed using thumb pods
- BK Joe, Burger King's in-house brand of coffee
- Caffiato, an iced cappuccino with caramel flavour
Coffee crisis
According to the company itself, DE has a policy focused on the sustainable improvement of the economical and social position of small-scale farmers. However, Oxfam has investigated the four large international coffee-roasting companies (Nestlé, Kraft Foods, Sara Lee, and Procter & Gamble) as to their contribution to solving the worldwide coffee crisis. 2 - 2,5% of Sara Lees current marketshare worldwide consists of certified coffee. This share increases year by year.
