Editing C&A (section)

===Foundation===
The Brenninkmeyer family had traded in linen and textiles since the 17th century from [[Mettingen]], Germany. In 1841, a Dutch textile firm was founded in [[Sneek]] by brothers Clemens and August [[Brenninkmeijer family|Brenninkmeijer]], later taking its company name from the initials of the founders. The family was very secretive, in part to avoid customs scrutiny, and upon reaching age 14, male members of the family were given the choice of working for C&A or joining the [[Catholic priesthood]]. In 1906, Clemens' son, Bernard Joseph, started operating in Amsterdam. By 1910, there were ten C&A stores in the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.c-and-a.com/uk/en/corporate/company/about-ca/history/ |title=C&A – a success story | publisher=C&A | url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304120303/http://www.c-and-a.com/uk/en/corporate/company/about-us/history/ |archive-date=4 March 2011}}</ref>

In 1974, C&A was one of the sponsors of the [[1974 FIFA World Cup]]. In 1978, C&A sponsored cycling through [[Eddy Merckx]]'s team, taking over from [[Fiat France (cycling team)|Fiat France]].{{cn|date=August 2024}}