18 locations. 500 employees. Expected turnover of around 90 million euros in 2025. The multi-brand retailer Robert Ley, based in Euskirchen, is growing like hardly any other fashion retailer in Germany. Together with our retail experts, Robert Ley has developed a brand identity that drives success in its stores. Christian Schwenk, a member of the management board at Robert Ley, talks about brands and people.
Robert Ley is a high-quality brand in the DACH region. Behind it stands a family-run business that is committed to the company’s long-term future. And we want to convey this quality both internally and externally. When we developed and built the flagship store in Euskirchen with you in 2017, we were very impressed by the timeless spirit of the concept. The building has been standing for five years now – and yet new customers still walk in thinking it has just opened. As part of our trade-up strategy, we have restructured and decided to refurbish our sites, starting with Langerwehe, then Mühlheim-Kärlich. And all sites are to bear the Knoblauch hallmark. We want to develop Robert Ley into an omni-channel lifestyle brand. And so it’s important to have a shared identity.
Yes, we have shops on the outskirts of towns and cities, in shopping centres, and also small high-street boutiques. Our shops have different focuses and requirements, which are naturally reflected in the shop design. And that’s precisely why a corporate identity is so important. We want customers to walk into our shops and immediately get that Robert Ley feel. Even though each shop has a different focus and is curated differently, we want to maintain certain elements of our corporate identity. These are, of course, customised concepts tailored to each individual shop.
If we were to describe the typical male customer, he’d drive a Range Rover, have a beautiful, successful wife and a Labrador. And, of course, he tends to shop in the premium segment. That’s why we’ve decided to offer certain services as well. As a rule, there’s always a sales assistant available – whether in the 6,000-square-metre retail space in Mühlheim-Kärlich or in the city-centre boutique. There’s always a bar and lounge with free coffee, wine and sparkling wine, regardless of whether the customer makes a purchase or not.
Without a doubt: the changing rooms! I love changing rooms with plenty of space and good lighting. Together with the Knoblauch team, we’ve developed changing room areas where your partner has space to accompany you, where you can take your clothes off, and where you feel at ease. For me, it’s absolutely vital that you feel this sense of comfort – from the moment you enter the shop right through to paying! And that should continue all the way until you’re back at your car! The car park must be clean and well-lit. There are so many elements that are important and make all the difference.
A very important one! When I joined the company about three years ago, we started to build up our e-commerce business, recruiting a team for it and creating a new structure. We simply want customers to be able to reach us at all times. Let’s take the Cologne area as an example. Here, we have two city boutiques and a large store in Cologne-Frechen. In our online shop, you can see just how differently our customers shop. When the weather’s nice, they like to come into town, have a drink and shop with us. On other days, they just want to get what they need, so they head straight to the large store and stock up. And on other days, they don’t have time and do their shopping online – even on Sundays. Many of our customers shop both online and in-store.
Yes, it’s really crazy. Whenever a particular brand is all the rage and we stock it, we often see new customers who’ve never shopped with us before. That’s the case right now with a pair of Copenhagen shoes for women, for example. They’re sold out everywhere else – but we’ve still got them in stock. And that’s how customers end up in our online shop, and they usually don’t just buy that one pair of shoes. It’s a brilliant effect when you stock brands that are all the rage. That’s why our team spends a lot of time at trade fairs and travelling around cities to track down the latest trends. We want customers – whether they’re shopping in-store or online – not just to stock up on what they need, but also to be inspired.
We’ve always worked with the Knoblauch team to decide where we want to place screens. For example, large screens at the checkouts. But we also have large screens at the entrances and in the changing room areas. In Mühlheim-Kärlich, an eight-by-nine-metre screen will soon be installed in the window. Bütema is our digital partner here. The screens allow us to respond effectively to specific situations, such as when we’re running promotions or holding a season opening. We bring a fresh atmosphere to the shop – without the hassle of putting up posters like we used to. Our marketing department does a brilliant job of managing the screens. And what’s really exciting is that we market the screens themselves. For example, Olymp is a key brand partner of ours and regularly books screen time.
The season opening takes place alongside the opening in Monheim. We celebrate this in spring and autumn with champagne receptions, a selection of wines, and a DJ. There are also stilt walkers, various catering options and much more. In Bonn, we had a saxophonist at the last Season Opening – it was absolutely brilliant. We have a ladies’ and a gents’ section opposite each other there, and he played music, alternating between the two. You really get the sense that people are raring to go for a bit of action in the shop.
Yes, and of course for the core product range as well. We also try to sell decorative items from time to time, such as napkins and candles, because that encourages customers to visit us. In Mühlheim-Kärlich, for example, we’ve noticed that this works really well. We’re gradually expanding the shopping experience.
First up is the opening in Monheim. We’re also planning a shop in Neuss, just outside Düsseldorf. At the moment, the shop is still operating as the Cruse Fashion Club. We’ll be fully integrating it into the Robert Ley Fashion World, where it will also gain greater visibility. So we want to continue expanding and are keeping our eyes and ears open for exciting locations. We’ve got a few ideas in mind, but we always want to execute them properly. That’s why we’ve decided to take a strategic approach and take our time to see how things pan out. Over the last three years, we’ve carried out an incredible amount of refurbishment and really stepped up our game with our existing portfolio. With Monheim, we’re now opening our first new store in ten years – and we’re really looking forward to it!
Of course, we have to work hard to attract customers too. In 2023, we launched our major #weareone campaign – and that’s exactly what makes us successful: we present ourselves to the outside world as a cohesive unit, as a company, as a brand. And we live by that internally as well. We’re simply a really good team, where everyone pitches in!
What’s more, we’re very quick off the mark, as we’re not a conglomerate and don’t have corporate structures. With us, a decision doesn’t have to pass through lots of committees – and by the time it’s finally made, the new season is already upon us. Of course, we also have a few location advantages, particularly just on the outskirts of the city. By investing visibly right now and not burying our heads in the sand, we’re naturally sending the right signals not only to customers but also to our colleagues. That’s a really important point. If nobody’s up for it today, there’s no point in making strategies for tomorrow. And then there’s one more thing. We’re all salespeople at heart!
Yes, of course! We’re all often out in the shops to see what’s working and what isn’t working so well! That makes day-to-day management much easier. We get a feel for the shop floor. That’s how our teams work too, for example in marketing. You pick up on so many things that way – from the till areas, advertising and signage – what could be improved, what’s missing. We’re all really, really close to the customers. Tomorrow (Ed.: Saturday) I’ll be back in the shop helping out with sales. I absolutely love being a service provider; it’s just in my blood. I really enjoy it when I’m out and about in the shop and can serve customers. I’d be lost without it! It’s so important, not just because it brings in money. It’s simply vital to know what customers expect from us and what they want. You simply can’t assess that sort of thing from a bird’s-eye view!
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