The Munich fashion agency Ben And has developed into one of the most influential sales partners in Europe in recent years. While most traditional agencies continue to focus solely on sales, Ben And takes a different approach. With over 2,000 trading partners, four permanent showrooms and its own retail and analytics team, the company does not act as an intermediary, but rather as an extended arm of the labels.
Founder and CEO Ben Botas explains in an interview what role D2C brands play in stationary retail, why authenticity is becoming a decisive factor in brand building and why sales is a creative act for him.
Sell-through instead of sell-in
Botas’ guiding principle is clear: sell-through beats sell-in. It is not the order intake that determines success, but the actual sales on the site. To achieve this, Ben And has created structures that go deep into operational retail operations: a retail and sales analytics team, over 3,000 square meters of showrooms and its own tools that bundle data from all channels. The centerpiece is a sales analytics system based on Salesforce, in which Ben And has invested over one million euros. “This means that all the data is summarized, tracked, evaluated, but then also reported,” explains Botas. The result: clear overview, quick decisions, precise control.
How this shows up in everyday life is illustrated by power selling programs in premium spaces such as Breuninger Düsseldorf and Stuttgart or in KadeWe: sales professionals from Ben And sell across brands directly in the spaces. The Merchandise Control Team also takes care of sales, reorders or swaps. This is complemented by store visits, training, VM support and in-store events – a finely tuned interplay of data, presence and retail performance.
Selection with demands: from a minimum of 3 million things get serious
Ben And works selectively. “We stand for the holistic. We are actually not a sales agency, but we are the brand itself,” says Botas. At Ben And, a brand only becomes profitable with annual sales of around three million euros. Openness, willingness to invest and a shared vision are therefore basic requirements. Onboarding follows a transparent process: Merchandise Control clarifies technical basics, reorder and NOS structures; marketing receives content and contacts; a brand book prepares internal and external communication.
Botas sees particular dynamics where D2C brands expand into wholesale. A defining example: Naked. “We made over 30 million in wholesale sales in the first full year, with no previous experience,” says Botas. “This showed us what potential D2C brands have in retail.” However, the transition is demanding: logistics, margin models, order and delivery rhythms, sampling processes and area presentation have to be rethought. The last successful example is Oh April, which exceeded all expectations after its wholesale launch. The advantage is obvious: retailers gain new target groups, communities see their brand on the market for the first time and rotation speeds increase rapidly.
From this experience, Botas draws a clear conclusion for the future. “I see a strong opportunity in communities. Price and product are not enough. Whoever wins today tells authentic stories and performs at the POS.” The claim coincides with the new partnership The Wants Social: Social-first marketing combined with targeted retail activations to measurably increase brand heat and awareness. For Botas, this is a logical extension of its own claim to provide holistic support to brands.
At the same time, Ben And continues to grow internally, with remarkably low turnover. In a short time, the team has grown to over 50 employees, supported by one Leadership stylewho is approachable, direct and pragmatic. Expectations are clear, decisions are made quickly, and performance is visibly rewarded. We are looking for personalities with attitude and perseverance. “What’s more important than grades is that someone is loyal to the company, takes responsibility and puts their foot down.” On the other hand, CVs with too many jumps are less convincing.
Expansion: six new brands, no limits
Ben And continues to grow – despite cautious consolidation plans. Six new brands are currently onboarding, including Danish label Baum und Pferdegarten, Robbie Williams’ brand Hopeium, Amsterdam-based Bram’s Fruit and Mercer, and Black Palms; Final confirmation is underway at the French label Soeur. There is no European focus: “We are looking for relevant brands with potential – whether new, upcoming or already established.”
Botas’ approach is clear: Sales doesn’t end with the order, it begins with the sales area. Sales, proximity to retailers, speed and clear data form the basis. “We have doubled in size in the last three years because we think differently.” Brands grow where someone acts like a brand. This is exactly where Ben And comes in and sets standards for how modern wholesale works today.