If you’re talking about a retailer that has conquered the entire Netherlands in a very short time, it’s Wam Denim. The menswear brand has a strong position in the Dutch market and even opened a dozen new stores during the Corona crisis. With 40 outlets, it’s time for the next step: to conquer Germany and make Wam Denim known worldwide. The first plans for this are on the table. FashionUnited visited CEO Samim Nasrollah at the opening of the first Wam Denim suiting store and asked about further developments.
Passers-by on Amsterdam’s popular shopping street, Nieuwendijk, couldn’t help but notice the opening of the store: although the cloudy weather on a Friday afternoon spoiled the mood for many, Wam Denim pulled out all the stops to put smiles on faces. A typical Dutch folk singer sang at the top of his lungs, a red carpet was laid out and the first customers received a snack and a drink upon entry. After a British flight attendant was lured in, curious Italians, Germans and Dutch followed.
Congratulations on the opening of the suit store. How is Wam Denim doing?
Very good! Wam Denim started out as a family business with a small shop and minimal collection. I never thought that we now have over 40 stores. We’re growing fast, even opening stores at a time when that wasn’t a given – the Corona crisis – and our customer base continues to grow. That’s great.
The suit shop is a concept that suits Amsterdam customers and complements our well-known concept. We noticed an increasing demand for office wear in some cities, which prompted us to introduce this concept. No sooner said than done, our first suit-only shop opened. The store concept was put together for the businessman: you will find suit jackets, suits, shirts, trench coats, as well as ties and belts. This store is purely for the business segment, while the store opposite caters to all men.
What makes Wam Denim unique?
The key benefits are that we have full control over our supply chain and no other retailer offers such a comprehensive range of menswear.
Since we have our supply chain in our own hands, we can launch a product or collection within four weeks. This allows us to respond to the latest fashion trends. This is something that doesn’t happen very often in menswear.
With no other retailer can a man be as successful as with us. Wam Denim’s style is casual and sophisticated with a special fit that we’ve invested in for years. We have also specialized in shirts and jackets, i.e. the business segment. Hardly anyone offers the shirts we sell. They are non-iron, 100 percent cotton, patterned and provided with details. In addition, we are the only retailer within the menswear segment that plays with colors. The colors of the shirts are then reflected in jeans, trench coats and jackets. We are very good at detail design. And finally, we serve the middle segment, which makes us affordable. That sets us apart from others.
And now it’s time for the next step: conquering Germany. What are your plans?
In the cities [den Wam Denim-Läden, Anm. d. Red.], which are on the German border, ninety percent of the customers come from Germany. They are incredibly satisfied and keep asking us when we open a store in Germany. It shows us that there are opportunities in Germany, but it’s quite difficult. It’s a completely different country, with different laws and different options. That’s why we don’t go too fast and do everything step by step, like in the Netherlands.
In Germany we will start with a shop in a big city, for example in Cologne, Hamburg or Münster. We want to put Wam Denim on the map first and then expand into smaller cities. Ultimately, we want to have opened 15 stores in Germany by 2025.
We will start with the regular store concept. We see a lot of demand for this at the moment. Will we also open a shop for suits in Germany? Who knows. Germans are more business oriented.
Do you have any other plans besides Germany?
Yes, in any case! We want to make Wam Denim known worldwide. That is why we are now also working on projects in Dubai. There we have the Dubai Mall shopping center in mind, where we want to establish ourselves. We think Wam Denim belongs in certain cities like New York and Dubai. These are cities that everyone knows. By locating Wam Denim there, we show that we are (in the future) a big, international player. Ultimately, we don’t want thousands of stores in America, but a few stores that we know we can position well and that will help us grow bigger and better.
This translated article originally appeared on FashionUnited.nl.