We rarely think of acronyms

What do you think “Gewista” means? And how did “chibu” and “edoshu” get their names?

Well, it’s just a company name, you guess. Just walk through the poster with the inscription “Gewista” on top. On its own, behind this acronym hides the name of a company with which one can start something: the Vienna Municipal Advertising Company.

It is a phenomenon also known from the private sector. This is behind the supermarket chain Bella It hides “cheap shop”, you’ve heard it before, just as Bipa stands for “cheap perfume”. On the other hand, the name “savings“It has nothing to do with the fact that you have to spend less money in the relevant markets. Instead, we have here an abbreviation of the Dutch slogan “Door Eendrachtig Samenwerken Profiteren Allen Regelmatig” (“Everyone benefits regularly from harmonious cooperation”), which was obtained by The merger of several merchants into a chain.By the way, “De Spar” means “spruce” in Dutch, which also explains the chain’s motto.The word “De” has been lost in the German-speaking world, perhaps also because the association with saving was not unwelcome completely.

Have you ever wondered what is behind the “Tchibo” company that sells coffee and various products for daily use, some of which are very strange? Well, the name goes back to spice merchant Carl Tchilling-Hiryan, who sent coffee by mail with coffee merchant Max Herz. “Tchilling Bean” was eventually shortened to Tchibo. Yes, and “Eduscho”? Here we have another acronym, this time from coffee producer Edward Schopf. Another flash of inspiration: Milka’s chocolate brand consists of milk and cocoa. Exactly, these are clearly not just company names.

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