After delays, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Carsch house will take place tomorrow, Tuesday. The fourth department store of the KaDeWe Group in Germany is being built on around 10,000 square meters. Completion will take place in spring 2025. FashionUnited spoke to André Maeder, CEO of the KaDeWe Group, about the plans.
When does the Carsch-Haus open? The date was originally supposed to be the end of 2022? What was the cause of the delays?
André Maeder: The opening is actually in spring 2025. The monument protection and the building permit took a lot of time. We don’t make any major changes to the house, but the redesign of Heinrich-Heine-Platz and the roof terrace had to be carried out by various committees due to monument protection. It all took longer than planned, but it’s basically a small delay and everything is going very positively.
What expectations do you have for the Düsseldorf location? How big is the catchment area?
Düsseldorf is among the top 10 cities in Germany and among the top 5 in terms of purchasing power. In addition, Düsseldorf has always been a very international and fashionable city, with all the trade fairs and suppliers who have their German branches here. The metropolitan region comprises twelve cities with 15 million inhabitants, making it one of the largest catchment areas in Europe. We include the Netherlands and Belgium. In comparison, Berlin has four million inhabitants and a much smaller area.
But there is also a lot of competition in Düsseldorf. Breuninger is established. And the planned Calatrava project on Königsallee should also specialize in luxury brands. How do you want to stand out?
As in the other cities, we have market companions in Düsseldorf. Maybe less in Berlin, but in Munich and Hamburg there is more diversity in retail. But any competition stimulates business and increases the attractiveness of a city. Mono-label stores of luxury brands, which all have their flagship stores in the big cities, play a subordinate role in our business. There is a completely different shopping experience here than in luxury department stores and also a different clientele. When shopping in a department store, the ‘fear of fear’ of visiting an in-house partner store is lower than when going to a purely monobrand boutique. I’m not worried about that at all. I see us as a complement.
Another scenario: Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof closes locations and P&C Düsseldorf also goes under the protective umbrella. Doesn’t that worry you?
Of course, it’s not good for consumer sentiment, for the reputation of a city or for retail as a whole when major players close. Therefore, we would prefer it if everyone is doing well. The situation does not worry us directly, but it is not a good development for the overall market, a city and a country.
How many department stores does the KaDeWe Group now operate and what are the further plans?
The fourth luxury department store of the KaDeWe Group in Germany is being built in Düsseldorf, and it will continue to be called Carsch-Haus. We remain true to our concept: Our houses are historical properties that have existed for more than 110 years, such as the Oberpollinger in Munich, the Alsterhaus in Hamburg, the KaDeWe in Berlin and from spring 2025 the Carsch-Haus in Düsseldorf. Our fifth department store, the Lamarr in Vienna, pays homage to Hollywood icon Hedy Lamarr and is also scheduled to open in spring 2025. All of our stores are closely linked to their city through their names, they are local icons. As a contrast to the historical backdrop, we developed a contemporary corporate identity for the Carsch-Haus in the colors of the city, in red and white. So much can be revealed: a very exciting appearance.
Which target group do you want to address?
Our stores are luxury department stores and the term luxury does not primarily refer to prices. Our stores are places of encounter and inspiration for all guests who visit us. Customers can buy items such as socks, underwear or T-shirts from us at regular prices. The real luxury is the experience. Individual and personal, unique and with a lasting effect. We offer a curated range and bring young, new brands together with established players.
Our modern campaigns and shop window designs as well as a variety of new pop-up areas always offer something new and inspire our guests. Supplemented by perfect services that are second to none, from beauty treatments to personal shopping and a wide range of gastronomic offers that are open until midnight. We bring a world of experience to Düsseldorf. And as already mentioned: Like our other stores, the Carsch-Haus will initially be a department store for the local population. In Berlin, we make far more sales with Berliners than with tourists, and if they come along, that’s all the better.
What should the new Carsch house look like? Describe the concept.
It will be a department store that will unite our accessories, fashion, cosmetics and food pillars under one roof over a sales area of 10,000 square meters and a total of seven floors. In cooperation with the well-known British architect David Chipperfield, an atrium will be built on the square in front of the Carsch-Haus, which will in future lead to the basement as the new main entrance and connect the upper level of the square with the retail areas below.
The elimination of the street from Heinrich-Heine-Allee to Kasernenstraße gives the square a new generosity and from there customers can use a staircase to reach the basement directly, where the main entrance is located. You could also say: The Lower Ground Floor thus becomes a new ground floor. Similar solutions can be seen at Rockefeller in New York or Apple in Milan, where the entire Apple Store is underground. The basement of the building, which stretches below Heinrich-Heine-Platz to the subway, the ground floor and the first four floors above ground will be the sales areas of the department store in the future. The fifth floor and the roof terrace are dedicated to culinary delights and relaxation.
How are the individual floors divided?
The Carsch-Haus presents a curated range of fashion, accessories, cosmetics and food on a total of seven floors. Women’s Designer & Contemporary, Shoes & Accessories, Beauty and Food are located on the Lower Ground Floor, and Luxury Boulevard is on the Ground Floor.
Men’s Designer, Shoes and Accessories can be found on the first floor, Men’s Contemporary, Casual & International Business on the second floor. The Sports Department is on the third floor and Kid’s World and Customer Service are on the fourth floor.
The fifth floor is all about culinary delights and a great restaurant with bar is being built on the rooftop, which can be reached through a separate entrance and is open until midnight.
What sort of assortment is planned? Which brands will you stock? Are you planning a younger appearance?
On the one hand, we have a curated range of well-known luxury brands. We are currently in negotiations with the important and trendy brands and the mood is very positive. There are also trendy, young, new brands that are perhaps less well known at the moment and that inspire us. I don’t know much about the term “young”. There is no such thing as young in the true sense, there is an attitude and lifestyle and distinctions are pointless, for example whether a 60-year-old woman is dressed fashionably younger today than a 25-year-old woman.
What can you say about the shoe sector?
The Women’s Shoes Department is accessed directly through the main entrance on the Lower Ground Floor, which is a great pole position for women’s shoes. The men’s shoe ranges are on the first and second floors: sneakers and sporty shoes in the luxury streetwear area are on the second floor, and all other shoe ranges from classic to contemporary are on the first floor for menswear.