Over the past few years, textile chain Zeeman invested a lot to remodel its store network and create a new image. Its improved results show that those investments are now paying off.
Long journey
In CEO Bart Karis’ ten-year tenure with Zeeman, he worked hard to alter the company’s image, which should also make employees feel more proud about the brand. He says this needs to happen because otherwise employees will not be able to be a good ambassador for the chain. “Everyone can see something is happening at Zeeman, but it takes a long time to change an image”, Karis told FD. “It is a beautiful label with fantastic opportunities, but it needed to be revitalized. That was a wonderful challenge to me. We have delayed store network investments for too long.”
The company is currently investing twenty million euro to remodel its nearly 1,300 stores across seven European countries. That sum could grow to thirty million if necessary. The chain is about halfway through the remodeling phase and also preparing several new formulas.
Better shopping experience
The new stores are larger than the old ones, to create a more spacious design and better shopping experience. Its most important product groups (baby and children’s clothing, underwear and household products) are still the core of a Zeeman store and it has also kept its famous tables from which visitors can easily grab a range of items because of customer demand. “We wanted to get rid of those tables, but the customer clearly told us no. The tables may quickly become a mess, but they have to stay”, Karis said.
The company also altered its logistical approach: its product range used to be refreshed twice a year, but now it sends new items to the stores as quickly as possible. “This not only improves a product’s availability, but also draws in more people because there is always a reason to come back.”
This innovation drive has now paid off, because its 2016 net turnover grew from 530 to 548 million euro and apparently, its profit also grew. It will also expand its Alphen aan den Rijn-based distribution center to support that growth. The goal is to reach 2,000 stores in the future.
