- In 1929, Braun began manufacturing whole appliances, such as radios and speaker amplifiers. Throughout the 1930s, Braun came under fire from the Nazi regime, which claimed he was against the Nazi mindset, that he was too immature to head a corporation and that he listened to enemy radio. It was the importance of his company to the war effort that saved Braun. Both of his factories were decimated by bombing. Braun rebuilt his company, employing only 150 people of the former 1,000-plus workforce. His first product was a dynamo-powered flashlight.
- In 1950, Braun released its first electric shaver, the S 50, and a blender called the "Multimix." During the 1950s, Braun expanded its mass market appliances to include toasters, kettles, dry shavers, television sets, camera flashes and handheld mixers.
- In 1964, The New York Museum of Modern Art unveiled a design exhibition, displaying all of Braun's products.
- During the 1980s, Braun realized that up to 70 percent of its income came from small appliances, such as shavers, oral care products and kitchen appliances. Braun decided to focus on these products and discontinue its larger, more costly goods. Braun began to observe consumer trends, producing high-quality products in a range of fashionable colors and designs.
- In 2000, Braun was voted number one "electro retail partner" in Germany by "Markt Intern," an electronic retail trade journal.
World War II
Mass Market Appliances
New York Museum of Modern Art
Refocusing
2000
Source...