Existing alongside the big players

The Werkmarkt Goes is an important player in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. That can’t be because the store, which is some 3 000 m² in size, is not the biggest DIY outlet in the country. It is because the owners, the Moes family, have made quality the benchmark of their business. And this is applied consistently in all areas. It was in 2004 that Moes, a member of Zeus, the retail line of Hagebau, EDE and EK Bielefeld, opened its new Werkmarkt in Remich, a Luxembourg town with a population of 3 000 in a popular recreational area. The striking building is conveniently located on the main access road. The catchment area includes some 20 000 inhabitants within a radius of 30 to 40 kilometres, stretching across to France and Germany as well. There is a staff of some 25 to look after the customers, 70 per cent of them classed as retail business customers and 30 per cent as professionals. Annual sales of this Werkmarkt amount to around € six mio, 20 per cent of which comes from the border areas of France and Germany. The Moes family has been established in Remich on the Mosel since the 17th century. The family’s involvement in trade began in 1880 with a metalworking shop offering hardware and steel. Today the company is run by members of the fifth generation of the family. A deepening of expertise in certain ranges accompanied the rebuilding of the Werkmarkt. Now it offers a complete programme of lamps and lighting, a paint mixing facility has been installed, and shower cubicles added to the product assortment. A 300 m² Plus 1 department for tools and machinery offers professional quality for industry, contractors and DIYers alike. In contrast to Germany, construction activity in the Grand Duchy, and the property market with it, has continued to develop in an upward direction over recent years. As a result of the fact that certain parts of the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice have been established in Luxembourg, and new service companies as well, Moes has tapped into new target groups in addition to its existing customer groups, which include private consumers, contractors, wine-growers and minor government organisations. Alongside hotels and restaurants, the store also caters to caretakers, who have all their requirements covered in the Werkmarkt and the Plus 1 range. “The demand for quality is high in Luxembourg. Meanwhile, many customers from Germany are repaying our consistent orientation towards quality as well,” says Gérard Moes…