All or Nothing

All or Nothing. Walser Leder & Mode/Hohenems

Walser Leder & Mode/Hohenems. Walser has been a retailer of leather items for almost 100 years, but three years ago Stefanie Walser chose a radically new path. Today, the store stocks a fashionable textile range which is merely complemented by its

initial core competence. Text: Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Walser Leder & Mode

The floor is the only reminder of the past. All the old elements have given way to a completely new interior design concept. The sales rooms are now bright and airy with lovely wallpaper, seating furniture, back-lit walls, and an espresso bar. “We wanted to send out the message that everything is different now. A half-hearted approach wouldn’t have worked”, Stefanie Walser, the current managing director, explains. The newly designed store is the perfect backdrop for the equally new product range. It includes entry-level brands like Closed, Steffen Schraut, and Marc O’Polo, which are supplemented by many specialised brands such as Mabrun for jackets and Caliban for blouses, as well as cashmere creations by Allude, Hemisphere, and Repeat. “Our share of Italian brands is growing. We love products from Italy, mainly because they are defined by high quality and excellent design”, Stefanie Walser says. 70% of the products in the store are from the textiles sector, but the in-house leatherwear, as well as the brands Milestone, Arma, and Werner Christ, round off the portfolio perfectly.

Greenfield

The company can look back on a long history. It was founded by Stefanie Walser’s great-grandparents in 1919, when it focused mainly on raw hides and furs, as well as selling fur and leather clothing in-store. The flourishing business was eventually transferred to Stefanie Walser’s mother, Inge. In 1990, it moved to its current location in Hohenems. The town is also the home base of Walser Group, a company that specialises in textile car interiors, child travel safety items, safety items in general, and sport equipment. The group is managed by Stefanie Walser’s father, Hans-Karl. After studying in Nagold and gaining experience as assistant buyer at Zurich-based fashion house Gassmann, Stefanie Walser decided to enter the family business in 2011.

Future Path

Walser’s success was certainly not hindered by its green-field location. The regular customers are not exclusively from the Vorarlberg province, but come from as far afield as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Southern Germany.

Walser Leder & Mode

Radetzkystrasse 114, 6845 Hohenems/Austria www.lederwalser.at Opening: 1919, Reopening: March 2012 Owner: Hans-Karl Walser Managing director: Stefanie Walser Employees: 7 Sales area: 460sqm Brands for women: Arma, Allude, Blonde No.8, Closed, Caliban, Cinzia Rocca, FFC, Grace, Hemisphere, Iheart, Milestone, Marc O’Polo, NYDJ, Nice Connection, Mabrun, Margittes, Nadine H, NVSCO, Oakwood, Peserico, Seductive, Steffen Schraut, Raffaello Rossi, Repeat, Rosemunde, Serini, Pure, Piu Piu, Robert Friedman, Werner Christ, Zaubermasche, and others Brands for men: Artigiano, Gimo’s, Jan Mayen, Phil Petter, Milestone, Marc O’Polo, Oakwood, and others Accessories brands: Codello, Hemisphere, Hipanema, Liebeskind Berlin, Lua, Mala Alisha, Marjana von Berlepsch, Michael Michael Kors, Pretty Ballerinas, Roeckl, Thymian “The customers appreciate the new store’s cosy atmosphere even more than before”, Stefanie Walser claims. “It is often said that one should focus on one’s core competence and emphasise one’s strengths”, she adds. However, Stefanie Walser and her mother, who supports the business wherever she can, decided that this is not the correct path to future success. “Modern customers have completely different buying habits”, Stefanie Walser stresses. “They don’t come here looking for a leather jacket or a lambskin coat. They want to try on a complete outfit, all the way down to the handbag. We can now offer exactly that.”

Walser strives to make its customers feel comfortable. This is ensured by a comprehensive product range for men and women, as well as a cosy lounge atmosphere.