Delicatessen and Fashion

Does your store suffer from a lack of customer frequency? One possible remedy could be to enhance the product range with small comfort products. However, how should these comfort products be displayed and how credible are they in a fashion store environment?

Text: Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Dialogue partners. Illustration: Stefanie Hilgarth@Caroline Seidler In Nicole Mohrmann’s store, fashionable bags, shoes, and a bowl filled with hair jewellery are displayed on a rustic wooden table. Alongside the aforementioned products the customer finds serviettes with neon green palm tree motifs, colourful adhesive tape for wrapping presents, and neck pillows that make every flight significantly more comfortable. One might say that those products don’t really fit in with the fashion, the jeans designed by AG Adriano Goldschmied, the dresses by Vanessa Bruno, and Semi Couture. Well, store owner Nicole Mohrmann thinks they do and her customers agree.

Mixed Concept

Nicole Mohrmann runs two fashion stores in Munich. The first, located in the Fünf Höfe complex in the city centre, has been going strong for 13 years; the second is located in Haidhausen. The online shop nicolemohrmann.com is also an integral part of the thriving concept. “I travel a lot and everywhere I go I see the same boring shopping areas with the same chain stores”, she says. “You have to find your niche and offer customers something that’s a little different.” Nicole Mohrmann comes from the traditional retail trade; she worked at Theresa, Linette, and Fischer in Stuttgart. She knew it was time for her own project when she opened her first shop in the Fünf Höfe complex 13 years ago. It was time to give a store her personal handwriting, which has never been more important than today. The entrepreneur regularly travels to countries such as the US, India, and Argentina and she always brings back something that can enrich her product range. Crayons from Argentina and bags from India are but a few examples. Sometimes she also unearths electronic gimmicks such as tiny cameras that can be easily connected to the computer. All these special items invite customers to embark on an expedition that they cannot experience anywhere else.

Thinking Outside the Box

The concept store idea is not new. Those looking for fashion usually have an excellent eye for all sorts of products that make life more beautiful. The aforementioned comfort products fall into this category; they appeal to the senses and are fun to explore. The fact that a mix of various business segments can be quite inspiring is proven by magazines such as Couch, Flair, and Instyle, as well as trade shows like the Premium in Berlin. “In an increasingly difficult market environment, stationary retailers need to know the needs of their customers. They simply have to update their portfolio on a regular basis and adjust accordingly”, says Anita Tillmann, the managing director of Premium Exhibitions. “In the best case, the customer finds a product portfolio consisting of a mix of designer collections combined with shoes and accessories, as well as lifestyle products and gadgets that mirror the current zeitgeist. That’s exactly what we present to the retail industry at the Premium. We offer a fashion portfolio that is complemented by fragrances, CDs, magazines, books, and candles, as well as iPhone cases and headphones.” The Show & Order trade show also showcases fashion and non-fashion products side by side; it displays blankets and plaids by Zoeppritz since 1828, scented candles by Ancini, and lamps and bowls by Ludwig Schröder. “Our visitors are not only interested in fashion, but want to explore all lifestyle topics”, says Verena Malta, the managing director of the aforementioned trade fair. “We want to show our retail partners how they can enhance their shop concepts and thus offer their own customers a product range that crosses industry boundaries.” This may save a retailer some time as there’s no need to visit other exhibitions. Dieter Ebling also thinks outside the box. He is a true sales professional and has already worked for the likes of Replay, Phard, Anna Rita N, and Rockstars & Angels. Today, he is developing a European sales network for Emporium GmbH, a business specialising in licence products from the beauty industry, such as the fragrances by French company Novae Plus Paris. Ebling does not only utilise the classic distribution channels, but also takes advantage of his contacts in the fashion industry. “I’m a lateral thinker in that respect”, Ebling states. “I am convinced that a fragrance can also work in a fashion store.” So far, he has received a lot of positive feedback when he introduces the Novae Plus Paris fragrances to Parisian fashion retailers. “Many recognise the advantage that such a product range enhancement can differentiate them from the other two local retailers with a very similar product portfolio”, Dieter Ebling says. To test the mix, he supplies retailers with selected fragrances on consignment, upon request even with a presentation cabinet. For him it is important to offer excellent service and to make life as easy as possible for his fashion industry partners. “The calculations for a scented candle or perfume may be lower than those in the fashion industry, which means that the revenues won’t increase significantly, but at least a fragrance does not lose its value after one season”, Dieter Ebling explains.

Bon Vivant Concept

Many customers decide against entering a store because they might not have an interest in acquiring an expensive piece of clothing. However, they may decide to come in if the travel read-

ing material or pumpkin seed oil in the shop window appeals to them. This could be a legitimate way to start a stimulating conversation. Thomas and Annette Wartner have experienced this fairly often. Their two stores named Stulz Mode:Genuss:Leben, located in the German town Waldshut-Tiengen near the Swiss border, have been following a very special concept for six years. Alongside fashion - brands such as Hackett London, Handstich, and Boglioli in the men’s store and Max Mara Weekend, Thomas Rath Trousers, and Caliban in the women’s store - they offer special hotel tips in their customer magazine, as well as, last but not least, a selection of high-end culinary delights. “We got some funny looks at first, but our bon vivant concept is absolutely established now”, says Thomas Wartner. “The customers can feel that we are passionate about it and are having loads of fun.” The store owners have quite a few stories to tell. One of them is about the Grappa that was stored in a barrique barrel 20 years ago and which will now be marketed by the son who took over the winery in Baden. Another is about the fruit spreads by the brand Ziegler, which is run by a former stewardess from Hamburg who was not willing to settle for common everyday marmalade in the hotels and now distributes homemade spreads from her own manufactory. Thomas Wartner explains: “If there is a great story and passion behind it, then we can pass that on to our customers.” How can this be staged though? Every Saturday, Stulz organises a special event for epicures with tastings at the bar, where the guests can, for instance, sample various types of pestos. “The customers love it and ask us what we have planned for the next time”, Wartner says. The store will also offer cooking classes from autumn onwards. Some customers simply buy a brandy by Rochelt if they didn’t find a clothing item they fancy but still want to treat themselves to something good. The

“Today, fashion retailers need to offer a special product range to avoid being inter

changeable.” - Dieter Ebling, sales at Emporium GmbH

“Non-fashion items can be a unique selling proposition and provide a decisive advantage

over competitors.” - Anita Tillmann, owner and managing director of Premium Exhibitions and Station-Berlin ©Juergen Schabes

“Unusual interior accessories enable a retailer to make fashion stores more interesting and appeal to a broa

der audience.” - Verena Malta, managing director of Show & Order

“If there is a great story and passion behind it, then we can pass that on to our customers.”

- Thomas Wartner, managing director of Stulz Mode:Genuss:Leben

“Many retailers focus on bracelets and scarves. The trick is not to buy into the main

stream.” - Nicole Mohrmann, managing director of Mohrmann Basics best time for the Wartners to generate non-fashion revenue is the pre-Christmas period, which is when customers are on the lookout for special gift ideas. Nicole Mohrmann has made similar experiences: “Some of my customers don’t come to the shop all year, but then pop in around Christmas”, she reveals. They stock up on Christmas decorations that are anything but classic. The product range consists of items such as Christmas tree ornaments shaped like a Buddha’s head, an octopus, or a waving Hello Kitty figurine. The Christmas event is particularly busy, mainly because Nicole Mohrmann never fails to come up with extraordinary ideas. Last year, she invited three women who run a stationer in New York. The three paper specialists crafted personalised individual writing paper for the customers. It was a beautiful statement against ordinary mass-produced goods.

Credibility by Conviction

If non-fashion items are presented well next to fashion, it can have a positive effect. This means that fashion sales can be boosted by offering exciting wellness products that cannot be purchased at the likes of Douglas, Rewe, or Aldi. If this is the case, the selection will be understood as it is meant to be, namely as a recommendation of the shop owner to his esteemed customers. At the end of the day, a scented candle, hand-picked teas, or shaving soap should not be seen as a panacea for more frequency and revenue in the melting pot of the fashion industry. However, it should be seen as a chance. One prerequisite for credibility is that the non-fashion goods are in line with the philosophy of the store owners. “It doesn’t make sense to offer delicatessen and fashion just because it is currently en vogue”, Thomas Wartner says. “More importantly, it has to come across that I myself am thrilled to do so. I need to be fully committed to it if I want to spread the philosophy and inspire my customers.”