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Piritta Törrö +358 400 255612 [email protected] gia Global Honorees 2011-2012 Part 5, the : De Bijenkorf

Alive and Buzzing

Michelle Hespe checks out a department store in that had the judges of the Global Innovation Awards (gia) buzzing about its size and long-term success.

There aren’t too many surviving, not to mention thriving, stores in the world that can lay claim to being established in the late 19th Century. But de Bijenkorf (translated as The Beehive) in Amsterdam can do just that with pride – it first opened its doors in 1870 as a haberdashery and has since developed into a company with a strong national identity and twelve large stores across the capital cities in the Netherlands.

Purchased in 2010 by the Weston family (headed up by Canadian billionaire Galen Weston who also owns in the UK and the George Weston empire), the buzzing business is now in extremely experienced hands.

Today, as always, de Bijenkorf’s employees believe that their company can be summed up in four key words: customer-oriented, inspiring, stylish and premium. And the judges at this year’s gia awards in Chicago felt the same way, choosing it from the 25 global contenders to be one of the top five honorees in the world.

However, its early establishment date is not the only impressive fact that this department store can tout. Delve into some staggering figures on de Bijenkorf and you’ll find an ongoing story of success that continues to develop as fashion, design and retail evolve into a new and exciting world.

For instance, on three days of the year, the business holds ‘Silly Sales Days’ – an initiative that attracts 1.2 million visitors and is worth about 10 percent of the annual turnover. The twelve stores throughout the Netherlands, and an online store, attract 37 million shoppers a year, and de Bijenkorf Amsterdam, housed within a beautiful building in the historic center across from the Royal Palace, attracts seven million people annually.

Lucky then, that the store has a sales area of 20,000 square meters, with the cooking and dining department alone taking up 1,500 square meters. Even more fortunate for shoppers who need a pick-me-up while on the go, there an in-store Nespresso Boutique. De Bijenkorf was the first store in the world to introduce this now incredibly popular coffee concept to the public, complete with the sale of capsules. Other impressive shop-in-shops include those hosted by WMF, Iittala and Villeroy & Boch. A wedding registry service, live demonstrations from well-known chefs such as Gordon Ramsey and Nigella Lawson, beautiful gift-wrapping and interior design advice from passionate staff who are extremely well-trained, are just some of the many draw cards for loyal regulars and newcomers.

De Bijenkorf receives a deluge of media attention that contributes to its success, but it also has its own publication, Bijenkorf magazine, to promote its latest ranges and news, and it has recently launched another magazine devoted purely to kitchenware, called de Bijenkorf Keuken (Kitchen), of which there are 300,000 copies printed.

The company has also been very successful in launching its own credit card – not just for the store, but one that can be used around the world in other stores, with customers collecting points for all purchases that can then be redeemed for discounts or free gifts within the company’s stores. The credit card also encourages customer loyalty as it entitles the holder to discounts on perfume, skincare products and cosmetics from most top brands, a free subscription to the magazine, invitations to exclusive shopping night events, membership discounts, gift vouchers and a welcome package worth hundreds of Euros.

As if these promotions are not enough, the company is also at the forefront of social media and embracing new technology, with their Facebook page having tens of thousands of fans and Twitter bringing together additional followers. It has an incredibly talented bunch of tech-savvy people working in its marketing department and was one of the first department stores in the Netherlands to come up with an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android, as well as producing an iMagazine especially for the iPad.

De Bijenkorf has every reason to be extremely proud of its innovative achievements, and with legendary homewares companies such as Le Creuset supporting the store, producing an exclusive range of colors for the company, it will undoubtedly continue to make waves in the top echelons of stores worldwide.

One recent innovation has been its collaboration with Design Academy , where they posed the question: ‘What price would you put on a design?’ during Dutch Design Week in 2011. Students presented new designs and asked the public for their honest opinion on their work – aesthetically, technically, emotionally and in terms of its commercial value. At the exhibition’s wrap-up, visitors were able to buy the work, and from the answers the students gained, there came a priceless understanding of how their products would go in the ‘real’ world of design and retail.

Setting a fine example for their competitive students, in that ‘real’ world of retail, de Bijenkorf continues to do exceptionally well and took back inspiration to the Netherlands after its gia win. As the manager said after making his way to Chicago to attend the International Home + Housewares Show, “The fair, the city, and the overall experience confirmed our focus points, and it was very inspiring. De Bijenkorf is very proud to be among the winners of the gia award.”

The main question is, for prospective business’ entering the gia awards, what should they focus upon, and what will help them to win an award and receive the worldwide publicity that these types of awards can bring? De Bijenkorf believes that it is all- inherent in the philosophy behind a store. “Our main focus is always to give the customer a unique shopping experience,” said the company’s spokesperson. “We try to make this happen by constantly training our staff, selling exclusive products on the Dutch market, creating different inspirational themes in our stores, demonstrating products, and organizing around 300 events per year in our stores.”

So when a store has their focus established, what can make them stand out from the pack and help them become a true innovator on the world retail stage?

“As a leading department store with a passion for shoppers, we try to make a visit to our store an exciting experience,” says the spokesperson for de Bijenkorf. “We create celebrated shop windows, inspiring events and always go the extra mile. Our stage is a carefully designed shop-floor.”

One thing that the staff and managers of de Bijenforf all agree about their experience in Chicago while scooping a 2012 gia award is this: “The Show, the awards night and presentations, the great shops and the informative and inspiring seminars made it worth our while.” To any company thinking of entering, they simply say: “Be inspired by all the great retailers in the world that join the gia award.”

For more information about the gia (Global Innovation Award) program, the co- sponsors, or participating in 2012-2013, contact Piritta Törrö at [email protected]. Additional information on the gia program is also available online at www.housewares.org/gia.

For more information about the International Home + Housewares Show and to pre- register for the 2013 Show, taking place in Chicago on March 2-5, 2013, please visit www.housewares.org.