Expert Logo PNG
The Expert logo shows that the company specializes in customer service and assistance. The emblem unifies disparate stores. Each presents goods under different brands but is equally useful to customers.
The company “Expert” began in postwar Europe, when TVs, radios, and home appliances were moving into everyday retail. Independent electronics dealers faced the same problem across the region: on their own, they had little buying power against larger chains.
On October 16, 1967, Intercop GmbH was registered in Zurich, Switzerland. The initiative came from Swedish entrepreneur Gunnar Nygren, representing Samex, the Swedish association of radio and TV retailers. Five other national retail groups joined him. The model was based on joint purchasing, while stores kept their own names and local control.
On March 30, 1971, the company became Expert International GmbH, and the Expert trademark received international registration. The network expanded across Europe, and its headquarters later moved from Zurich to Zug. In Germany, expert SE in Langenhagen became a major national player and grew into the country’s second-largest electronics retailer after MediaMarkt Saturn.
In 1999, Expert tried to expand through Expert Global with Associated Volume Buyers Inc. in the U.S. and Cantrex in Canada, though the alliance later ended. In 2001, Betta Stores from Australia and New Zealand joined. In 2007, Expert strengthened its Nordic business by acquiring Finland’s Konepiste, while Expert AB operated 222 stores in Sweden. That Swedish unit went bankrupt on September 18, 2012. By 2019, Expert International still united retail groups across Europe and South Africa, facing pressure from MediaMarkt and Euronics, and had a purchasing turnover of over €15 billion.
Meaning and History
The emergence of the Expert brand was preceded by the creation of Intercop GmbH in 1967. It was founded by the entrepreneur Gunnar Nygren, acting in the interests of the Samex association, which included television and radio service providers. Later, other organizations joined the group. And in 1971, it was renamed, which led to a change in its logo.
As a result of the rebranding, a new Expert symbol appeared, containing the brand name and an icon in the form of a striped six-pointed star depicting a white hourglass in negative space. The black wordmark seems as simple as possible: it consists of unremarkable bold sans-serif letters at first glance. But if you look closely, it becomes noticeable that some glyphs have an unusual shape. First of all, this concerns the lowercase “x,” which looks like a combination of two angle brackets pointing in different directions. They look like a modified fast-forward icon, usually used when playing video or audio.
What is Expert?
The Expert retail chain sells electronic equipment for everyday use. It is headquartered in Switzerland and has stores worldwide. It received its current name in 1971. Before that, the company was known as Intercop GmbH.
To the right of the inscription is a white-orange emblem: a striped six-pointed star in a white circle with an orange outline. This is not just an abstract symbol but a stylized “x.” Parts of the letter can be seen in two elements, shaped like angle brackets. They are distant but connected by two small triangles (one at the top and one at the bottom). The empty white space formed by the geometric shapes resembles an hourglass.
The combination of all the fragments looks exactly like a six-pointed star, which is no coincidence. The hexagram has many meanings in cultural, religious, and historical contexts. It is considered a sign of the harmony of the spiritual and material, the connection of two principles. And it is also an ancient symbol to which mystical properties have been attributed throughout all eras.
Font and Colors
The brand name is written in bold sans-serif type. The lines are uneven in thickness: the main strokes are much wider than the secondary ones. Moreover, the word is completely translated into lowercase. This is a subtle psychological trick used to gain consumer confidence.
Most likely, the designers developed a set of individual glyphs for the Expert International logo, giving them the necessary shape. This can be judged by the unusual appearance of the letter “x,” which was adapted to the brand concept. There are, however, approximately similar typefaces, such as Balboa Extra Black by Parkinson Type Design or Ultimate Serial Heavy by SoftMaker. Almost 100% of the lowercase “e” is in Quilon Bold from the Indian Type Foundry.
The black inscription is contrasted with an orange icon. So that it is not too bright and does not attract all the attention, the designers diluted the orange color with white accents.