“Why can’t agents have events where they offer things like a quick Thai massage to highlight holidays to Thailand” KONDITOR &COOK FOUNDER GERHARD JENNE
Jenne and Cons at Clos du Lethe, France
SEEKING a bespoke service for urban
professionals...
Travel agents, there are two very cool, very creative potential customers out there just waiting to find their perfect travel partner. Konditor & Cook’s urban
customers can tell that with Konditor & Cook is more personal and quirky,” insists Jenne. For instance, at Konditor & Cook
you don’t just buy a chocolate Easter bunny and chick – you buy Margot the chick and Tom the bunny. The major food outlets have
however changed the way that consumers think around food and consistency of service. “Customers are now used to a
certain level of service, they are less patient around queuing and they expect uniformity and consistency. It is more around managing their expectations,” he says. And like travel, food is now also
an online business. While Konditor & Cook’s website is currently more of a blog, with a few options for ordering certain products, this will be relaunched later in the year with a major focus on online retailing. “We are going online to leverage
more from the shops, for the benefits of the shops,” explains managing director Paul Cons. “We are on a multi-platform journey which will eventually take us into mobile.” Initially the focus of the online
expansion will be on products that are easily shippable by post, such as brownies and mince pies – which are already a major mail order hit at
Christmas. “There are lots of people around the country who want to have our produce. We would be looking to reach the market in London and, nationally, it’s a potential way of enhancing our brand and reputation,” Cons says. Like so many travel agencies
around the country though, the bakery also struggles with the cost of high rents – in particular at its Borough Market branch – and with the excessive red tape and health and safety regulations. “It feels like the balance is somewhat wrong on this, and we would welcome any changes to that,” says Cons. For now, however, the focus is
entrepreneurs, Gerhard Jenne and Paul Cons, who are married, tell me they once used an operator to put together their honeymoon to the Outer Hebrid- eans but were slightly “under- whelmed” by the experience. “We wanted more knowledge on the area, but I am not sure if we would do it again or if we were that impressed. It seemed very expensive,” Cons tells me. However, on chatting with them further about their travels, it’s clear that these two have a passion for funky city breaks, such as Miami, and high-end rural retreats in places like the south of France, and would love to save on the time it takes to research trips themselves. “Booking your own travel is
very time consuming. It can sometimes feel like you have been all around the world. It should be easier if you are time- poor to use an agent,” Cons adds. “If there was a bespoke service for the urban professional then I would use it.”
firmly on creating the iconic Jubilee cake, which they hope all of London will enjoy.
05.04.2012 11
Jasveer Mehay
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