September 2024
ertonline.co.uk
ERT’s Editor, Jack Cheeseman, went along to the Mayfair Experience Centre to meet with John Pickering, Managing Director of Miele GB, Ireland and South Africa. They spoke about the company’s expanding store network and how this feeds in to its overall business aims… “This new store is a sign of our positive, strategic investment for the future,” says Mr Pickering. “It’s been a challenging time for the whole industry in recent years, but this is a business that’s been around for 125 years and we’ve managed quite a few things successfully in the past, so we know we’ve got a robust business that’ll be here for another 125 years.”
Q&A
Q: The market is tough for some right now, so how is Miele navigating this from a business perspective? John Pickering: We are not insulated from anything that’s going on in the market; we operate alongside some fantastic competitors, retailers and trade partners and we have used the last couple of years to refocus our aims and be really clear on where and how we invest for the future. Across Europe it’s very similar – the macro impacts of the economic and post-Covid challenges are not unique to one country, although there are some nuances with Miele’s strength in its German business which will always play out.
Q: Tell us about Miele’s new Experience Centre in Mayfair, London. Why did you choose this particular location? JP: Mayfair is synonymous with elegance and luxury and we’re based directly opposite The Ritz, and that’s not by chance. We chose
this location specifically. Footfall is extremely important and nearby Green Park attracts millions of people – and that helps hugely with our brand awareness as a physical representation of what Miele stands for. We are always trying to better understand how our consumers shop, but as well as that it’s important for us to support our local partners. So even though this Mayfair store is only 15 minutes away from the likes of Selfridges and Harrods, we have a very different consumer dynamic here.
Q: What are your aims and plans for this new Mayfair store? JP: Our main aim with all our Experience Centres is to reach more customers so we can be there as a resource for them to be immersed in the Miele brand. Particularly because of the breadth of our portfolio, we know that many of our products are considered purchases that sometimes require some exploration and expert advice, so we offer pre- and post-purchase product support as well as experiential events. Each Centre has cooking demo facilities that we make regular use of and we have recruited some incredible staff so we can continue to provide an expert service for our customers.
The online shopping experience is relatively limited, which creates a challenge for many companies operating in this category, so these stores are immersive and allow customers to touch and feel product and to taste the food, and this combination reaffirms the consideration process and hopefully the purchase process.
Q: How do you think electrical retailers feel about Miele expanding its store network in terms of competition on the High Street? JP: I would hope and encourage them to look at these stores as a resource to use. We have seven locations and they have each been deliberately chosen to support our local and regional ecosystems. Where our investments, like the Mayfair Centre, work best is when we collaborate with our trade partners and they send their customers here for advice and servicing options, and we’ll happily send them back to perform the final transaction with the original retailer. If we said “we’re stealing business from each other”, we’re missing the bigger picture; the reality is that the premium sector has huge opportunity for development and we work very closely with our trade partners to build on that.
Q: How would you say Miele’s product design trends have changed in the past few years? JP: There are trends that will come and go but we believe in our timeless design philosophy which gives Miele a unique premium position in the marketplace. We are as committed as we’ve ever been to longevity, sustainability, quality and efficiency – values that have underpinned the business for years. What people are seeing from Miele these days is the evolution of very simple, clean and elegant lines, as well as class-leading features.
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