The first dm-drogerie markt store opened in Karlsruhe in 1973, marking the beginning of a retail model that prioritized qualified customer advice over traditional discount methods. Founder Götz Werner steered the chain through decades of expansion, eventually growing the enterprise into a multinational network with thousands of locations across Europe and a unique corporate structure.
Early Career and Retail Innovations
Born in Heidelberg in 1944, Werner entered the drugstore industry through his family’s business. After an apprenticeship in Konstanz, he worked at the Idro drugstore in Karlsruhe. His early attempts to implement a discount model combined with professional advisory services were rejected by his employer, leading him to establish his own company. Upon launching dm in 1973, he navigated early capital constraints by partnering with Günther Lehmann of the Pfannkuch supermarket chain. By 1978, the company operated over 100 branches, and by the 2010/2011 fiscal year, the chain had reached 2,536 stores across eleven countries.
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Werner implemented a non-authoritarian style of leadership known as dialogical leadership, which emphasized mutual respect and internal autonomy. During the 1990s, he decentralized the corporate structure, granting individual stores the power to manage their own schedules, staffing, and product ranges. Influenced by anthroposophy, he treated employees as creative assets rather than simple costs, rejecting traditional incentive systems in favor of profit-sharing models. He held a specific pedagogical interest, requiring trainees to participate in theater projects to foster personal growth.
Academic Contributions and Advocacy
Beyond his corporate work, Werner held various academic positions. He served as the head of the Cross-Department Group for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from 2003 to 2010. In 2008, he became a visiting professor at the Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences. He was also a prominent advocate for universal basic income, launching the initiative Unternimm die Zukunft in 2005. His proposal involved replacing income tax with an increased value-added tax to fund a monthly payment for all citizens.
Legacy and Awards
Werner retired from operational management in 2008, moving to the supervisory board while his deputy, Erich Harsch, took over. In 2010, he announced the transfer of his shares to a charitable foundation. Throughout his life, he received numerous honors, including the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2008 and the Erich Fromm Prize in 2015. He died in Stuttgart on 8 February 2022 at the age of 78.
Fast facts
- Born: 1944, Heidelberg
- Died: 8 February 2022, Stuttgart
- Founder: dm-drogerie markt
- Academic focus: Entrepreneurial Studies and Sustainable Management
- Notable honor: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2008)
- Leadership tenure: 35 years at dm
Questions readers ask
What did Götz Werner advocate for in politics?
He was a vocal proponent of universal basic income, proposing the abolition of income tax in favor of a consumption-based value-added tax.
How did he manage the dm retail chain?
He utilized a dialogical leadership model that encouraged store autonomy, employee trust, and personal development rather than rigid instruction.
Achievements
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 2008
- Erich Fromm Prize — 2015
- German startup prize — 2014
- Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg — 2019
- Affiliated with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences
