Give Youth a Chance

GIVE YOUTH

A CHANCE!

Rejuvenating product ranges and meeting the new challenges posed by digitisation are vital tasks of the retailers. Why not take advantage of the abilities of young employees to advance the fashion retail industry? It seems like too few are tapping in to their enormous potential…

Text: Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Interviewees Illustration: Claudia Meitert@Caroline Seidler

Johannes Westerheide has just returned from the order round. He was on the road for numerous days, visited many colleagues with his team, and talked to a number of people. After all, he has been working in the industry for ten years and has established a sophisticated network. “When I attend trade fairs or visit showrooms, I notice that very few buying teams of renowned fashion houses bring along young people,” the MD of Silomon muses. “Generally speaking, our industry doesn’t include young talent enough, maybe because we fashion workers believe that we are always on top of the latest trends, no matter how old we are. Nevertheless, someone in his or her mid-40s will always struggle to comprehend certain dynamics in the same way someone who has grown up with them does.” At the same time, the retail industry is facing increasing cost pressure. “Acting from necessity, many retailers aren’t willing to invest in inviting their young employees,” Westerheide says and adds: “Many perceive such ideas as a personnel expenditure that doesn’t result in direct revenue. Only very few have understood that this investment is vital for their survival.”

Change Offline and online – anything goes. The challenges within the market are highly complex. Communication has changed completely and the flow of information has accelerated enormously. What defines us today is young in its core. The technical digitisation and social media are young topics that are demanded – and often advanced – by the young. And they can be incredibly beneficial to stationary retailers. Just like many others, Johannes Westerheide perceives himself and Silomon as a retail business in the midst of a finding process. He strives to create experiences on the sales floor and wants to advertise them on all media channels. “We discussed the issue at management level and realised that anyone who doesn’t understand the topic – or isn’t savvy in terms of social media – can’t implement it well,” Westerheide admits. “That’s why I have transferred this particular field to a few employees aged between 20 and 25. They use social media quite intuitively.” Silomon posts on Facebook and Instagram roughly three times a week. The ideas for these posts are mostly suggested by salespeople working on the floor. “It’s impossible to measure the success directly, but we have noticed that our

young clientele feels addressed in a credible manner, because it doesn’t seem construed.” Elke Henschel, the Head of Buying at Ludwig Beck, also relies heavily on youth. “Promoting young employees and giving them responsibility is a matter close to my heart,” she says. “They approach issues differently, fresh and without prejudice. Ludwig Beck is keen to tap into this potential. On the other hand, we have veteran employees whose experience comes into play when things get tough, for instance when revenues decline or a strategic plan doesn’t work as planned. Young people struggle with such issues. It is all the more valuable when everyone, between 20 and 60 years of age, can contribute.” At Ludwig Beck, young employees are often allowed to make decisions during the order process. They are also afforded the opportunity to promote a trendy collection within a pop-up area. An example for this is the brand NA-KD, which was promoted with a DJ and drinks by frank juice during the last Easter holidays. “We give new collections a chance,” Henschel stresses. “Studies have shown that our customers expect to be surprised by us. That’s why we are always willing to try out new things, especially as the market is even more dynamic than before.” Westerheide is also aware of these dynamics. “It has become more difficult to address younger customers authentically. In this age group, fashion changes more swiftly. For young people, we need to display new topics such as streetwear – embodied by brands like Champion, Fila, and Elesse – almost instantly. We don’t always succeed in doing that. Young customers are not yet as loyal as their older counterparts, mainly because professional advice – our USP – is not as important to them.”

New Customers Laura Rogger and her sister Marina Bayat-Rogger have been supporting their parents Fritz Rogger and Sonja Rogger-Furrer in running their business, Phänomen, for one and a half years. Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are their domain and they have been utilising them for Phänomen for quite some time. “For us, they are additional channels for advertising our store. Furthermore, we can see new trends and which brands the stars are wearing,” 28-year-old Laura Rogger explains. Thanks to the initiative of the sisters, collections such as Fenty x Puma and Roqa, sneakers by Filling Pieces, and menswear by Deus Ex Machina complement the product range of Phänomen. “We were a little too cautious in some cases; we could have listened to our gut feeling more closely. After all, a complete image works better on a sales floor than a few individual pieces,” she says. “With Anine Bing we hit the taste of our younger customers, but the collection proved too expensive. Many young women prefer to buy at Zara, while young men seem more willing to spend money to buy brands such as Stone Island and Dsquared2 in our store.” The Rogger sisters have so far organised two socalled “Friend’s Night” events in cooperation with young salespeople, including DJs and drinks. “It proved very popular. Many were too afraid to visit our store, because they thought our product range was too expensive,” Laura Rogger recalls. “The younger collections often have a more affordable price structure that is in line with the spending power of younger consumers. The young at heart enjoy combining a pair of jeans by Dsquared2 with a t-shirt by Deus Ex Machina.” The rejuvenated brand mix of Phänomen also appeals to the regular customers, while winning over younger customers as fans at the same time.

Freedom of Responsibility The Grüner family exemplifies the approach of giving the new generation sufficient freedom to develop within the company. With its 150 years of history, Grüner is one of the oldest retailers in Klagenfurt. It is currently being run by the fifth generation of the Grüner dynasty. “We’re lucky that our children enjoy contributing. That’s not always the case,” Alfred Grüner says. His daughter Theres manages the back-office for the five branches, while his son Gregor is responsible for the

“Our new collections attract younger customers, because the prices are lower.”

Laura Rogger, MD of Phänomen

“Promoting young employees and giving them responsibility is a matter close to my heart.”

Elke Henschel, Head of Buying at Ludwig Beck

“I strive to create awareness for a healthy price structure among my buying staff, because the world is not all about premium. We want to reach the whole bandwidth of our customers.”

Johannes Westerheide, MD of Silomon

“It’s no longer about one person who knows everything dictating from the front. We all know something, across all age groups.”

Frank Troch, MD of Hirmer

“Even experienced people like us make mistakes. Nobody is immune against errors.”

Alfred Grüner, MD of Grüner

“It works so well because my father made clear from the outset that there is no pressure on us to take over.”

Gregor Grüner, Head of Online Business at Grüner

branch in “Kramergasse” and the online business. With success: the web shop has been profitable for two years now. “It works so well because my father made clear from the outset that there is no pressure on us to take over,” Gregor Grüner explains. “In addition, he is an excellent strategist and opens up possibilities.” Alfred Grüner proved his visionary thinking when he launched the web shop in 1998. “It was a little too early and we didn’t have anyone to take care of it properly,” Alfred Grüner admits. The family cultivates a democratic culture of dialogue. “The differing views are particularly apparent in fashion topics,” he adds. “The check trend seems bland to our generation, but the younger people think checks are cool.” When should you listen to your children? And when does experience count? “One cannot draw a straight line”, Alfred Grüner argues. “I believe in the stationary retail industry, especially as we are about to open another branch in Velden. But I believe that the online business is equally important. The social media channels are such great tools to promote our business. They allow us to bring interesting pieces to the people swiftly,” he says. “Almost 70 percent of consumers research online before visiting the store. What surprises me most is that this percentage includes consumers of all ages.”

Hard to Get The retail trade still suffers from a lack of young talent. Low wages make the profession unappealing, as do the discount battles that devalue the fashion market from within. “It takes longer to find the really qualified people these days,” says Frank Troch, the MD of Hirmer. “But the ones you do find, who enjoy the job, are willing to stand up and speak in front of a group much earlier. They have more confidence.” The demands on buying departments are also changing swiftly and fundamentally. “At the same time, the usual training methods for buyers are often inadequate,” says Westerheide. “I have to be able to understand, read, interpret, and process my buying figures. Our trainees are taught this in-house and on the job. The market is changing radically, but the degree of professionalism in terms of retail training has to increase accordingly. We are often not fast enough to take the necessary steps.”

Generation Smart Phone Hirmer of Munich is also keen to transfer its tradition-steeped history into the future. The ground floor is currently being modernised and the so-called “Förderkreis”, a group of employees aged between 18 and 25, has been asked to voice their opinion and contribute. “What does a modern cash-point look like? Where and how does the customer pay? How do our customers connect with our online shop? The smart phone generation has completely different perspectives on such questions,” Troch explains. “In the past, every salesperson had a list of regular customers in his or her pocket. Today, it is the smart phone. It is just a different way of communicating with customers. Just a few years ago, who would have thought that WhatsApp could generate revenue?” Hirmer includes young talent in the order process and factory training. “Today, we transfer responsibility to the younger generation much earlier,” Troch reveals. Nevertheless, he would like to rephrase his initial statement asking the industry to give youth a chance. “I think a better statement is: ‘Give the courageous a chance!’ It’s no longer about one person who knows everything dictating from the front. We all know something, across all age groups. Today, things are more specialised and everyone has their respective strengths. We are currently undergoing this change. I know something, you know something. Together we know more.”

Sebago. UNDER NEW FLAG

The Italian BasicNet Group, which owns brands such as Superga, Kappa, and K-Way, acquired the Sebago license from US-based company Wolverine in summer last year. Ever since, the group has been busy returning the traditional brand to former glory by carefully pursuing a modern, contemporary design approach. Text: Kay Alexander Plonka. Photos: Sebago

In 1946, Daniel J. Wellehan Sr, William Beaudoin, and Joseph Cordeau founded Sebago on the shores of the eponymous lake in Maine in the north-eastern United States. Their first shoe was a frame-stitched penny loafer inspired by the moccasins of the local Indians. From the mid-1960s onwards, the brand’s shoes were also exported to Europe. In 1970, Sebago launched the Docksides model, a hand-sewn leather shoe with a non-slip rubber sole. This model is, alongside its colourful counterpart called Spinnaker, among Sebago’s best-known products. For many years, the brand sponsored the America’s Cup and the Celebrity Regatta from Newport to Bermuda. It was also the outfitter of the US National Sailing Team. Currently, the brand is present in 90 countries world

wide. But not only sailors swear by Sebago: Paul Newman, John F. Kennedy, Steve McQueen, and Michael Jackson were fans of the footwear from Maine. Today, the list of admirers includes Kate Middleton, Tom Hanks, Pharrell Williams, Bruno Mars, Lourdes Ciccone Leon, and Jack O’Connell. In addition, Sebago collaborated and launched capsule collections with Filson, Ronnie Fieg, and Amor Lux. In 2003, Wolverine World Wide Inc acquired the rights to the brand, but sold them on to Turin-based BasicNet SPA in July 2017. Austria-based CMH GmbH is BasicNet’s sales partner for Sebago in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The customer service and warehouses for these countries are located in Schönau.

Classic and sporty with cult factor: sailing shoes by Sebago are world famous and form the DNA of the brand.