„We call it trust“

What job do you both have at Intratuin?
Günther Peeters: The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have an awful lot in common, but it is logical that differences also exist. Here it is very important to identify the cultural differences. I have been responsible at Intratuin for the Belgian Intratuin stores, of which there are now five, for the last five years. My main focus is on product range and marketing.
On 1 January 2015 two German garden centres joined the cooperative, and I am supporting these also. In Thomas Buchenau we have now gained a German colleague who has been familiar with the garden market for many years and is now covering Germany.
How big are the businesses that are suitable to make the switch?
Thomas Buchenau: Size isn’t the only governing factor in being able to offer customers a rounded shopping experience. In Holland, too, we have some stores doing very well that are able to vary the shopping experience continuously for their customers in a relatively small retail area.
What kind of product ranges do you have to adapt to?
T. B.: An exciting variation of basic and supplementary ranges has to be created according to the season. We believe that having the right products in the right place at the right time is our major strength in Holland, because we study all products and how they have performed, and consider how we must plan for the future.
In my opinion it achieves nothing if German businesses rely on following the Intratuin operation in Holland and copying it. The product ranges, shopfittings, campaigns and so on are adapted to suit the customers.

How will the Intratuin brand work in Germany? In the south at any rate, the customers don’t even know how to pronounce the name.
T. B.: There are some brands that are pronounced differently in every country. What’s important is that the customer feels comfortable and in good hands with the retailer. We have adopted the Dutch flower, De Bloem, as the logo for Germany too, and we are finding that it has gone down extremely well with the customers.
G. P.: The information on the packaging is being translated into German at the moment. We are convinced that we can win the German clientele over with our private labels. We can exploit the large buying volumes to guarantee our…