Relaxation on the one hand, commitment on the other: In the area of goods, Quick Schuh has set up new rules that apply to all participating retailers. “In the past, retailers were allocated a lot and regional differences in demand were often not taken into account,” says Schnütgen. “In addition, there are very different requirements at the locations, be it center locations or specialist stores. These must be taken more into account.” There are now campaigns with three industry partners – Skechers, Rieker and Tamaris – each of which includes one article per season that is allocated under certain conditions. “That is the lowest common denominator,” says Johannes Schnütgen. As concept manager, he maintains contact with the industry and selects the shoes. For F/W 2024/25, this is a sneaker from Skechers, an ankle boot from Tamaris and a winter boot from Rieker. The campaigns run on large surfaces and social media and, if possible, everyone involved should benefit from the cooperation. In addition, there are around 25 brands per season that are listed in a Quick Schuh recommendation program. Johannes Schnütgen also works on this; he visits trade fairs such as Expo Riva Schuh and contacts suppliers there. Around ten to 15 shoes per brand are included in the recommendation program. The products are shown at the ANWR trade fairs in Mainhausen. The retailers themselves decide which shoes they want to order and in what quantity. In the spirit of the aforementioned simplicity, Schnütgen does not place much value on complex catalogs. Now he passes on a simple order form as a PDF to accept the retailer’s order. “Everything has to be quick and easy,” emphasizes the 58-year-old concept manager.
Marketing down to the last detail
Quick Schuh also wants to break new ground in terms of marketing. From basic decorations to in-store TV spots, the head office supplies everything the retailer needs. Quick Schuh retailers are regularly supplied with appropriate packages. There is also an agency service that franchisees can use for individual campaigns. If an ad is placed in the daily newspaper, an evening shopping event is planned or a Sunday shop is open, the Quick Schuh team can quickly lay out the desired motifs in the right formats for the retailer – with all Quick Schuh design elements such as the green color or the font typical of the concept. The team in Mainhausen is small: In addition to Johannes Schnütgen and Burkart Sprecher, there are three colleagues in Mainhausen. “We are lean, very agile and very fast,” the concept manager is convinced. The aim now is to offer the existing franchisees the best possible support in their work and to increase their success. Schnütgen is convinced that it is already clear that the retailers’ satisfaction has increased significantly. If it is up to him, the number of quickers is likely to rise significantly again in the next few years.
