066 WHAT'S THE STORY
L’Incontro. MOVING CLOSER TOGETHER
A private label under the name of the club promises to deliver fashion in-time.
No experience exchange group, no buying association, but an exclusive club of like-minded retailers - the inception of L’Incontro creates a new circle of premium retail players. The goal is exchange in the truest sense of the word. Text: Lisa Freund. Photos: L’Incontro
“The challenges you currently need to master as a retailer are elementary. We are in the midst of a change process and everyone is trying to find solutions in their own individual way. I often feel the urge to exchange information regarding this process. I’d like to ask others about their plans, to deliberate, and to provide each other with some feedback”, Katrin Kollervan Eersel said roughly one year ago. In the meantime, the idea 416 style in progress
has taken shape and her wish has transformed into a specific project. The club that connects Katrin Koller-van Eersel with like-minded store owners in Germany and Austria is called L’Incontro. “The ultimate goal is to create a real added value for all retail members.” It is, after all, only possible to convince retailers of cooperation if one offers tangible benefits. “We are all lone wolves, but once I visited and had long talks with all desired members, they all had something to think about. Is the lone wolf approach still up-todate? Wouldn’t we be better off as part of a network?”, the club founder explains. “Even the initial talks were impressively candid and inspiring - we became closer instantly.” The subsequent talks sharpened the profile of the proposed club. “The input from
the members unearthed new priorities. The services the club offers reflect the wish lists of the members.” Achieving More Together
The basic idea to face challenges together has led to many practical ideas. One example, is exchange of information. A chat room connects the members from mobile to mobile. For instance, a member sitting in a Parisian showroom can now ask others about their experiences with a certain brand. “If one of the members discovers a new brand, he or she can easily tip off colleagues.” However, experience is not the only thing the members can share. “We offer an encrypted Internet platform that allows members to help each other out with goods. They can offer items that don’t sell to oth-
ers or - what is more common - look for goods they need. This could be a Chloé dress in XS that a customer is looking for and that one can normally not obtain via the brand itself during the current season”, Katrin Kollervan Eersel explains. “Sometimes we even exchange decoration materials. For example, I ordered elaborate angel wings in the style of Victorias Secret for our mannequins last year. It would be a real shame to throw them away, but I can’t display them in our city for a second time either. So I simply passed them on to a colleague.” In addition, the platform offers goodies that the club negotiates for its members: excellent terms at hotels, suppliers, and service providers, as well as fresh ideas on how to generate more frequency and business. The latter can include social
