CJ Schmidt in Husum is an institution in the north and an authority in the industry. Almost a destination in itself, the fashion house for the whole family is the first point of contact for customers from all over Schleswig-Holstein and a popular stopover for travelers heading to Sylt & Co.
Christian Rugen, who joined CJ Schmidt as purchasing manager in 2015 from Dodenhof, has been a member of the management board since 2018 and is responsible for purchasing, sales and marketing. In the interview he talks about how he is planning the start of the season and which topics will determine the autumn orders for 2022.
How did you end 2021?
Overall, of course, with a minus. But the winter season went quite well. That was because we had a lower incidence here in the north than most other states until recently; consequently, we didn’t have as many restrictions as elsewhere.
But now the 2G regulation also applies in Schleswig-Holstein. How did the implementation affect you?
We have observed the same phenomenon over and over again over the past two years: A new regulation initially acts as a damper that ensures that things are very quiet here for two or three days. Then it is as if everyone is shaking – and then they have gotten used to the innovation and the frequency normalizes. It was the same this time. It’s now like a recurring wave motion. Nevertheless, we have an average of 30 to 35 percent fewer visitors in the house.
As a company with the most employees in Husum, do you actually have a direct connection to politics?
We are in close contact. This is also very important, because without a rapid transfer of information it would be impossible for us to react quickly enough to new regulations. For example, when 2G was to be implemented, the official information about the new requirements went out on Friday evening, which were to come into force on Saturday morning when the shop opened. Implementing the relevant organizational measures in such a short time is of course a challenge for a hotel of our size.
What mood do you currently perceive among your customers?
It is quite obvious that customers have a desire for fashion, a desire for something new, a desire for color and – this is perhaps particularly remarkable – a desire for a brand! This is particularly significant in the premium segment.
Are there any surprising climbers or is it the proven top performers who make a positive impression?
The entire premium area with brands such as Closed, Luisa Cerano or Marc Cain has clearly gained in appeal. In the mainstream, Marc O’Polo in particular performs extremely well. But it’s safe to say that overall desirability has picked up. I also observe that customers consume more consciously.
Does this development compensate for the lower frequency?
Above all, it is absorbed by the fact that the customers who come to us now mostly really have an intention to buy. In normal times, many just stroll through the house without wanting to buy anything. It’s completely different now. Therefore, we were able to increase the conversion rate significantly.
How has your work on the site changed as a result?
In the past, our fashion consultants sometimes had to take care of three or four customers at the same time. But now we have significantly more time for our customers and can deal much more intensively with individual people. We train our employees accordingly and tell them: Take your time with the consultation, nobody is pushing! After all, it’s about offering our customers an even more individual service, even more advice and thus an even more impressive shopping experience.
Does the new “airiness” in the house also affect the staging of fashion themes?
Of course, we can now show even more new looks than in the past.
Is there enough new goods? The delivery situation seems to be quite tense at times…
True, the situation is tense, but not to despair. There were already delays in autumn/winter, which was not without problems, especially in the jacket area. Overall, however, the situation was satisfactory. However, we have already received information from some suppliers that the January delivery date is more likely to slip into February. It is of course very important at this point in time to show new products and to set fresh impulses in a targeted manner. We’ll see how the delays play out. So far we haven’t had any loss of sales. But if we don’t have enough new goods at the end of January, when most of the reduced goods are on the floor, the margin will of course suffer.
Is it the goods from the Far East that are missing?
Exactly, so the mainstream is particularly affected, while the entire premium area is unaffected.
Which trends can already be seen at the start of the season?
Definitely colour! Greens and blues are very good, the whole pink theme runs great too. It’s obvious that after all the monochrome feel-good looks in neutral tones, color is just the right impulse. People are very keen on that.
What is your most important task for the autumn order?
We will continue to work on expanding our fashion level. It has now been proven that this is the right way. So we will continue down this path.
With looks for the couch or rather for the party?
We don’t believe in the couch anymore, we’re more into going out and partying and more dressed-up looks overall. Last year it was already evident that there is a great need in this area, both in women’s wear and in men’s men’s wear. We need a lot of clothes for the summer, in a wide range of styles. Last year, for example, classic sheath dresses were missing. We didn’t have enough good blazers for men. We have to serve all these topics.
Which topics will cause friction in the order round? At the price levels?
We will certainly discuss that. We need to keep an eye on how far up average prices go. Higher average prices are not a bad thing per se. However, how the suppliers deal with price points will be decisive. If a mainstream supplier – instead of eight as in the past – now only offers three sweaters for 39 euros and in return expands the higher price ranges, then that should be fine with me. The only important thing is that he basically still serves the corner price ranges. There will certainly also be discussions on the question of how we can deal with readjustments. How much we can cover in pre-order, what will be available from stock… we need to discuss that with our suppliers. In any case, one thing is clear: we can’t do without a warehouse, because we also need stock goods.
Last question: Do you expect another lockdown?
No, we are assuming a positive situation and hope that we will continue to be open and that we can offer our customers a great shopping experience with many promotions in the area every day. Because if we doubt or do nothing and just be there, that is not productive.
