The kbbreview Interview // Dr Reinhard Zinkann Dr Reinhard Zinkann
Tell us about the current state of the market from your perspective. The global market is very fragmented. There are countries – like Australia, Hong Kong, and Switzerland – that continue to perform strongly. Others remain stable and some are clearly struggling, impacted by inflation, recession,
geopolitical tensions, or simply consumer uncertainty. But
honestly, that’s not unusual. In Miele’s 126 year history, we’ve always seen regional highs and lows and the UK is no exception. Looking at the industry as a whole, things are challenging but not without hope and I see light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, the geopolitical relationships between the US, China, Russia, and Europe add layers of unpredictability. Nobody knows what Mr. Trump is thinking and a social media post can shift global economies overnight. It's all very unclear so we can only do business as usual. It would not make sense to think, 'the world is going downhill, what do we do?' and it would equally make no sense to say, 'yippee, we are riding at a fast pace towards a super bright future'. So we keep on track, we focus on consistency, on doing what we’ve always done.
How do things look closer to home, particularly across Europe? Europe is in a difficult situation because it is not one single market. From the Baltics to the Mediterranean, from Central Europe to the UK, every region is facing its own specific set of challenges, which makes planning and mitigation difficult. What we do know is that Miele has always stood for one core principle – immer besser. And that belief doesn’t shift depending on the market conditions. Our mission is to produce the best product available. That’s been true throughout every crisis we’ve faced in our history from world wars to recessions, inflation, and the pandemic. What’s carried us through is staying true to that long-term vision. We’ve always served a customer who values durability and quality, someone who wants to pay the difference for quality. That customer will always exist.
Miele is a family business and, despite the difference in size, that focus on long-term thinking mirrors what we often see with family-run kitchen studios. Exactly. That’s why we have such a natural connection with kitchen retailers, particularly those that are family-run. We’re both in it for the long haul. We both work with long product cycles and long customer relationships. The temptation in tough times is to diversify, to chase trends or short-term gains. But real success lies in doubling down on what you do best – offering something of real, lasting value. In our space, you can either compete on price in the mass market or stand out by delivering real value and differentiation. And that starts at every customer touchpoint – from the design consultation, to the showroom experience, to the explanation of why one appliance outperforms another. We can’t compete on price, and we never will. But look at premium kitchen brands like Bulthaup, Poggenpohl, or Boffi, they don't compete on price either. We stand out by offering exceptional service and products that exceed expectations.
With a brand as strong as Miele’s, it must be tempting to develop a lower-cost ‘Miele Lite’ range to hit the volume market. Why haven’t you? It would be distracting to shift our focus from long-term quality to short- term volume. We’re not in that business. We don’t make products that are consumed and forgotten. We make things that become part of people’s homes for decades. That aligns us with the kitchen retailers because when you create a beautiful kitchen space, every element needs to work together long-term. We design appliances that fit seamlessly, function flawlessly, and last for years. How many people regret a purple fridge or gold handles a few years in? That's where the retailer and Miele come together, both of us give the consumer something that he will have for a very long time.
Wigmore Street
The new Miele Experience Centre opened at 25 Wigmore Street in
April. Formerly the Place Boffi
showroom, it replaces the Cavendish
centre
just a few hundred yards away. There are now three Experience Centres in central London - the others are located in Mayfair, opposite The Ritz, and a concession inside Harrods. The other UK stores are in
Edinburgh, Cambridge, Solihull and Abingdon as well as shopping malls
Bluewater in Kent and Brent Cross in Greater London.
Direct sales meant your Experience Centres were once seen as controversial. What’s the overall strategy now the model has expanded? It’s all part of a clear omni-channel strategy. The world has changed, retail has changed. So we’ve had to evolve how we engage with consumers. That means being present in showrooms, online, and in retail spaces like shopping malls. It also means selling online, something that would’ve been unthinkable 10 or 15 years ago. But the reality is, consumers expect that now. People need to touch, feel, and experience our appliances to really understand what makes them different. That’s especially important when market conditions get tougher. When money is tight, consumers want to be sure they’re making the right decision. Helping them experience the difference is the best way to build confidence in their purchase.
There's some debate over Miele’s direct-to-consumer model. How do you ensure it complements retailers rather than competes with them? We’re very clear, our goal isn’t to take business away from our trade partners. It’s to grow the total market for everyone. Our Experience Centres are a crucial part of that. They help consumers understand the full potential of our products and get inspired. That inspiration takes them back to their kitchen retailer to complete their full project. We know the kitchen retailer is essential as they manage the whole customer journey, the full service and installation. So our role is to support, train, and empower them to win the customer. If our partners don't grow with us, we’ve failed. It’s that simple.
20
kbbreview
May 2025
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