Because we have not made a trade fair for years and I actually have any more contact with hardly any dealer, I may not be the most competent person to assess this. But I would formulate it differently today. There are still some very good dealers in Germany. Structurally, however, we see changes in the market. And the trade does not play the great advantage that he has compared to online trade. The physical availability that you can try a product and buy it immediately is the main advantage of trade. Retour is the biggest problem for an e-commerce company. Inpatient trade does not have this problem. And that makes him very profitable. So he has a future very well, but maybe no longer widely as it used to be. However, trading must be able not to simply put a shoe on the shelf and have the consumer decided. A lot has been lost.
What role does the slipper segment play for Giesswein?
Still an important one with approx. 30% of sales. But of course the Merino Runner area surpassed this segment. In the slipper area you have to see that about 50% of sales run over Amazon. This is horrendous, madness. A lot of slippers are bought online. It is comfortable, you don’t have to go anywhere to buy them. And the perfect fit is not always important. At the same time, I believe that many inpatient dealers neglect the segment. You will probably no longer find a big range in the width.
How important is internationality for you?
We sell our shoes worldwide. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are our most important markets. Here we simply understand our customers best and align ourselves.
How high is your return rate?
We are 30%, which is a good value. But that doesn’t change the fact that returns are part of the business. The customer simply expects to have this option.
How did the year 2024 run for you?
In principle very successful, you have to say. Because we separated from Amazon, we no longer grow as strongly as in previous years. General consumption and the fact that certain customer groups are severely affected by inflation also brakes. But overall everything is in the lot with us and we can be really satisfied. In 2018/19 we reached 15 million euros in sales and in 2023 it was 75 million euros.
What expectations do you have for 2025?
I assume growth between 5 and 10%. There are many different influencing factors, so long -term forecasts are difficult. You have to think from month to month. However, I do not expect any slump in demand.
How do you prepare for the possible situation that the hype around the Merino Runner abbots?
We keep launching new styles. In 2025 alone, we will launch 12 new shoe models. There is still a lot of development potential.
Where do you see the biggest challenges for your company?
We see great potential in the use of AI. We tackled the topic over a year ago because it offers incredible options to become more efficient and faster. And I think the one who is the first to jump on this train and implement the topic well can get tremendous efficiency advantages for themselves. The big challenge will also be to take the employees with them.