Exclusivity and advice

When those responsible at the Mannheim-based Bauhaus group opened their first Expo Ambiente store in Aachen on 13 November last year, the hullabaloo was not limited to the German DIY retail scene alone. For when all is said and done, what is being presented on the premium site in Krefelder Straße is a new concept that has nothing at all in common with your typical DIY store. Over a planning and preparation period of only six months a new channel of distribution was produced out of thin air; the group subsidiary Expo Ambiente GmbH, set up for the purpose and totally independent, listed suppliers and selected products; and, last but not least, came the realisation of a sophisticated new store concept based on exclusivity and advice. Those responsible say that the store is of course directed in the first place towards average and high income groups, who want more complex solutions for their extensions and renovations. However, there is also a welcome for anyone who wants to look for and find a single item in the store. This means the number of customers is of course smaller than in normal DIY stores, though the average receipt is “exceptionally high” in compensation, according to the management. Presented as free-standing displays on the 4 000 m² of floorspace in six specialist departments (bath and accessories; timber, walls and ceilings; textile floorcoverings; paint and wallcoverings; lamps and lighting systems; decoration) are solutions to all sorts of problems. A total of 25 staff members, who include qualified technical advisors as well as interior designers and master craftsmen, are there to ensure the best possible customer orientation. On offer in Aachen is a total customer care package, from planning to outline and on to the completed project. “This is a concept with a future,” is the conviction there, and the tendency shows that it is finding ever-increasing acceptance. The collection of 40 bathroom displays alone means that customers with an inclination to buy are more than spoilt for choice. Yet the intention is not to present any standard products or the usual seasonal goods. Anyone paying over the odds for a product expects the object of his choice to be ahead of its time. The Expo Ambiente experts intend to be three months faster than the competition and to always react more rapidly to emerging trends. Flexibility is also required in the choice of product ranges. Since new ground has been broken in Aachen in the choice of products, it is still…