Do It Yourself

A feast for all senses: Heckmann’s store allows its customers to embark on an expedition.

Hands-on approach: Peter Heckmann put a lot of energy into designing his store himself.

Do It Yourself.

Heckmann Store/Darmstadt. Peter Heckmann has been selling carefully selected premium sportswear in Darmstadt since 1978. After 16 years in the same location, he moved his store for the fourth time in the business’ history. The premises, which he restored with two friends within four weeks, is three times the size of the previous store. He has created a port of call for all demanding design enthusiasts.

Text: Kay Alexander Plonka. Photos: Frank Blümler

“I secured the new store by chance. The location is ideal. Opposite our premises one can find a very good bistro, a small flower shop, an old bakery, and a quaint café. All stores located on the pedestrian street are owner-managed too. A long time ago, this building housed a beautiful bookstore with high ceilings and a beautiful interior. I came here quite often with my father in the 1960s and 1970s to buy books”, Peter Heckmann reveals. “I wanted to give this store its soul back, which is why we ripped out the suspended ceilings and returned it to its shell-condition in order to allow us to restore the premises from scratch. It was a nice change from day-to-day business.” Peter Heckmann took care of the entire shop-fitting process himself - from planning to actual execution. “We didn’t want to overstretch our finances, which is why we modified or repaired many product display elements ourselves. For example, we repurposed the lighting system of our previous store. We redesigned it and even converted parts of it to LED technology. We really enjoyed fiddling around with the various components. Ultimately, this approach is a very sensible form of sustainability.”

Back to Old Values

“Bland pedestrian zones and shop windows covered in ‘Sale’ signs no longer attract the attention of the majority of passers-by. A smaller street with a certain aesthetic and full of real life is not only a joy for our customers, but also for us. We merely placed a small ‘Sale’ sign advertising a 30% discount in our shop window. The sale went down very quietly and only involved a small selection of items. This approach worked very well for us”, Heckmann says. The comparatively limited opening hours - in line with Danish and Swedish traditions - have not scared customers away either. Peter Heckmann explains: “We are open from 10am to 6.30pm. We might - in collaboration with our neighbour - consider re-introducing a ‘late Thursday’, but the Scandinavian model proves that one doesn’t necessarily need unlimited opening hours to be successful. It is becoming increasingly important to spend more time with family and friends, as well as having more time for sports or a good meal. We have closed at 4pm on Saturdays in the past and it worked out just fine.”

All Senses Required

In addition to fashion for women and men, the store also offers numerous items of vintage furniture. The doorway houses Artifort Groovy Chairs by Pierre Paulin, complemented by pieces by the likes of Eames and Wegener. A stationery department with beautiful pens, as well as a range of cups, glasses, plates, and other artefacts, rounds off the product range nicely. “All these items ensure additional customer frequency. I haven’t experienced anything like it in my almost 40 years in the retail industry. Ever since we started offering all these beautiful items, our customers remain in the store much longer. They look around, marvel at our products, make us compliments for the atmosphere, and praise our product selection. Men, who might have seen our old store as a little too small, have started returning in force too.” Two rosemary saplings, which Heckmann discovered in the florist opposite, have been placed right outside the store. “I never realised what an effect a fragrance has on the customers. The people enjoy running their palms over the leaves and enjoy the fragrance of the little trees. The flax-orange oil we used for refreshing the store’s furniture is also noticed by many visitors. I used to pay little attention to the olfactory aspect, but today I know how important it is to appeal to all senses of our customers”, Heckmann explains.

Heckmann Store Darmstadt

Schulstrasse 5 64283 Darmstadt Germany www.heckmannstore.eu Owner: Peter Heckmann Employees: 3 Re-opening after recent move: 28th of April 2016 Sales area: 110 sqm Brands for women: Armor-Lux, Bellerose, Bsbee, Custom Made, Denham, Gallego Desportes, Leon & Harper, Mads Norgaard, Medwinds, Rabens Saloner, Rains, Ropachica Brands for men: Armor-Lux, Blue de Genes, Breco, East Harbour Surplus, First Pattern, Knowledge Cotton Apparel, Mads Norgaard, Medwinds, Orcival, Poggianti, Universal Works, Vetra Accessories brands: Anokhi, Cooperative de Creation, Deven, Ina Seifart, Kaweco, Serax, Titlee, Werkstadt München Shoe brands: Blue Heeler, Blundstone, Chippewa, Fred de la Bretoniere