How to Reintroduce Pleasure to Consumption?

Ah, fashion! Purchasing it can trigger genuine feelings of happiness, because it fulfils longings, allows us to reinvent ourselves. Fashion, more than almost anything else, is an expression of our identity. Nevertheless, the last two years in particular have raised a question mark behind the word consumption. Has the pandemic changed our needs? Is consumption still allowed to make us happy?

Text: Janaina Engelmann-Brothánek, Kay Alexander Plonka, Nicoletta Schaper. Illustrations: Simona Gala Baronti

TRUST

Huy Do, Head Buyer of Jades Men

“The joy of consumption stems from an exchange between salesperson and customer. A casual ‘Hi, how are you?’ or ‘Good to see you’ makes the customer feel at ease and encourages a shopping experience. After all, that is what Jades embodies. It is our duty to show our customers what is trendy, what cut one should wear, and which colours are essential wardrobe elements. Men rely on and trust a salesperson. That is why online shopping is usually out of the question for them. When restaurants and clubs are open, they have a reason to abandon sweatpants and dress up. That alone restores the joy in consumption.”

GAME CHANGER

Andrea Grudda, lecturer/author/expert on future viability

“What has not yet penetrated the consciousness of many companies is the huge significance that digital clothing will gain. This is a brand-new fun element in shopping. On the one hand, you have clothing that can be bought in video games, which opens up a whole range of new possibilities for brands. Apart from own collections and limited editions, it is a new and highly interesting production method. On the other hand, you have clothing that can be superimposed on photos. This allows you to pimp and elevate your social media feeds. It also enables you to create a new business look without investing in clothes that might be too expensive for some, or clothes that ‘age’ too quickly. This technology will constitute a game changer in many areas.”

FEELING COMFORTABLE

Tanja Ehrmann, owner of Bo Redley

“Shopping is a pleasure and should be enjoyable! This cannot be achieved by shopping online, but by visiting stores with a living room feeling, where you feel in safe hands, attended by staff who can style new trends tastefully and provide honest advice. Comfort is our be-all and end-all! Our personal approach also works online via live videos on Instagram or WhatsApp. Personality also wins over younger customers, who appreciate it just as much as older customers. However, we observe that the demand for glamorous looks has not yet returned, but customers are willing to spend money on excellent quality. When they know where and how the cashmere has been produced, that provides the final impetus for the purchase decision.”

OPTIMISM

Jörg Ehrlich, co-founder of Odeeh

“In terms of societal attitudes, we are perhaps a little fearful at the moment, and quickly feel like we are doing something wrong. I believe this attitude is rooted in politics, especially as we are increasingly confronted with catastrophes and global problems due to omnipresent over-information. Without denying the issues at hand, we need a certain ‘nevertheless’ spirit to develop resilience and reclaim self-confidence. We need a positively confident energy and quality of life – less hedonistic fun, more optimistic joy. At Odeeh, we counteract such doubting forces by creating positivity and constantly trying something new: With a vibrant collection that is not arbitrarily colourful and a volume level that does not drown out the message.”

LIFE-CENTRIC APPROACH

Matteo Ward, co-founder of WRÅD Living, start-up entrepreneur, activist, TEDx talker

“The classic ‘consumer-centric approach’, which makes brands and institutions perceive people as robots, ensures they are dependent on consumption, forces them to buy things they do not need, and endangers the planet, must be replaced by a ‘life-centric approach’. Nobody needs another pair of jeans or another t-shirt. Retail as a mere ‘warehouse’ for items is no longer relevant. As the only physical point of contact between brand and market, it needs to inspire, guide, advise honestly, and fulfil its target group’s desires. We require an approach based on the desire to deliver products and services that meet people’s genuine needs, from the psychological-emotional to the material level.”

EMBRACING LIFE AGAIN

Claudia Lunati, Global Marketing Director of Saucony Originals

“People have returned to treating themselves to new products and are ready to embrace life again. Additionally, now they have extra confidence and an advanced understanding of what is truly relevant for them. We have noticed that the consumer has gained confidence in buying online. Working in home offices has led to a new kind of consumption, where home delivery has evolved into a new habit. The training and running segments have literally exploded. As a brand, we are investing in the consumer experience. We take the consumer journey from offline to online very seriously, which is why we are building strong relationships with authenticators on social media who are able to embody our brand values and empower their communities in terms of individual self-expression.”

ENTERTAIN TO SELL

Nicole Srock.Stanley, founder and CEO of Dan Pearlman Group

“Mindless consumption is no longer appropriate, yet people are still eager to experience new things and further individualise their lifestyle, for example by consuming services and relevant products, which they like to present on social media as their latest shopping find. This is good news, especially for the stationary retail sector! Where else can shopping appeal to all the senses in such a focused manner? In the past, the rule of thumb was to sell plenty and entertain little. Today, it is essential to entertain plenty to sell well. That is why a carefully curated range combined with entertainment, as well as a physical and digital experience, is key for traditional retail, as is proven by the award-winning Bonprix Fashion Connect Store in Hamburg, where shopping becomes a real customer journey with the help of digital devices such as smartphones.”