Peter Bangelmeier is a child in the shoe industry. His grandmother was once a founding member of the Northwest Ring in Austria. At the age of 14 he had helped out in the parental shoe store at the cash register, at 18 he drove to the GDS together with his mother and cousins, the second and third generation of entrepreneurs. After stations at Högl, Stuart Weitzman, Peter Kaiser and Heschung, the son of the family of shoe retailers moved back home in 2020, to Linz on the Danube. He traveled to his hometown to handle the family shoe house “Maria Eiler GmbH”. Most recently, his cousins had run the company. “I quit everything that could be quit, but sometimes it had to do with long notice periods,” reports the entrepreneur. “So I had to wait and looked at all the structures in peace – and then decided: that’s not the end. It is a new beginning. ”The industry specialist also had his own motivating thoughts in my head:“ I have had a lot of experience in sales and therefore often had to deal with the trade. The dealers sometimes seemed very little motivated to me. That was an incentive for me to try it for myself to see if I could do it better. ”The fact that it was the company of his family was the emotional component that was at least as important. “My mother got involved in the company with great passion. That shaped me a lot. “
Bangelmeier founded a new company at the old location. Since April 1, 2021, “The Eiler” has been presenting its range at 750 sqm. With brands of the middle like Paul Green and Gabor, but also with the upscale genre such as Kennel & Schmenger and Truman’s – and as a cherry on the cake models from Tod’s, Hogan and Santoni. The offer is garnished by selected textiles so that customers are inspired. “For me it was always clear: with us there must be the most beautiful and exciting shoes,” clarifies the dealer. In addition to the shoe store, two Tamaris stores also belong to the company.
Personnel planning with AI
His team, consisting of 40 people, is important Peter Bangelmeier, and the dealer expresses this: “You have to make great things, which is why we also pay an above -average content.” Some experienced forces that are already retired will help on Saturdays and other days with a strong frequency. Bangelmeier works with a digital tool for personnel use in order to use the large team flexibly and also to deal with sick leave. “The idea arose from a meeting with several AnwR members,” reports the entrepreneur. “The thought was to tackle things differently.” The solution with which the team works at Eiler is AI-based; Telephone calls or emails are omitted and the team is largely organizing itself. “It made me very relieved that it works so well,” says Bangelmeier. For the Anwr Garant Austria, who belongs to Bangelmeier with his company, it is a central topic to advise the connected dealers in full – 360 ° -, especially with regard to technical tools, to simplify the processes. “We regularly organize workshops in which various topics are developed together with trade. What works with a dealer can also be made available to others. We are concerned with making the trade fit for the future, ”says Andreas Mayer, managing director of the group group. From the perspective of Peter Bangelmeier, these “well -organized, small teams” in the workshops are useful in order to move forward quickly.
A lance for inpatient trade
Bangelmeier says of himself that he is an advocate of inpatient trade. “Advice and services and beautiful products is the best experience that a customer can have.” But you have to know the customers. You have to work permanently on the range and be ready to offer maximum service. Andreas Mayer also sees this as the only right way – also for the other members of the grouping group: These are primarily small, owner -managed structures, “and they score primarily with service. This is exhausting, it costs strength, but if the customers are satisfied, this is the best advertisement, because that is more important. ”That also applies if there are complaints. “The way they are handled, whether there is an understanding of the staff and the signal ‘We take care of us’ is crucial to bind customers in the long term.” Price campaigns issued a clear cancellation: “We break up with this” . That is why there are no discounts in his shoe store, but beautiful givea-aways such as specially branded jam on the shoe. Andreas Mayer is also uncrumulent: “I advise our dealers up to a certain size to weigh up exactly whether the operation of your own online shop fits your business model and is profitable in the long term. The AnwR offers cheaper and individual solutions here. You should rather address your target group with an individual offer and services. ”Bangelmeier has success with his concept. He has just opened another business: a store with 90 sqm area and a unisex offer that is not separated into women’s and men’s department. The ambience is very puristic and clean, atypical for a shoe store, with aluminum, concrete and white walls. With this concept, Bangelmeier also wants to address younger customers.
