Schuhkurier: How was 2024 for Ecco?
Valeska Erkens: It was an exciting year with many positive changes. We have established a new management board, defined clear structures in the product area, introduced significant updates in our collections and much more. We also advanced the strategic expansion of the Central region, which includes Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
What is the expectations of the new year 2025?
Casper Gram hvejsel: In 2024 we consistently worked on creating a strong basis for revitalizing our ECCO Wholesale Canal. We have optimized various business areas to ensure that the ECCO brand remains relevant for both our trading partners and for end customers. In 2025 we will continue this swing, which we built in 2024. At the same time, we are aware that Ecco has to develop continuously in order to meet the changing expectations of our customers and consumers and to ensure a high level of relevance across all sales channels. This transformation will not end at 2025, but also remains a central focus of our strategy.
Where is the strategic focus: Wholesale or D2C?
Valeska Erkens: The exciting – and at the same time challenging – on our region is the diverse trade landscape. We follow a holistic view of the market, work omni-channel and draw valuable learning from all areas. In our own retail, our focus is on optimizing the portfolio. We start in the first quarter with the refit of our store in Munich. In the area of wholesale, we focus on growth with strategic partners and the expansion in the areas of fashion and sport. Caspar Gram Hvejsel: At ECCO, the customer is the focus of all our actions. Our goal is to build long -term relationships by consistently putting the needs and expectations of our customers in the foreground. With a consistent omni-channel approach, we ensure that our offer is just as consistent and coordinated for our trading partners as for our end customers.
What does the weight of wholesale and D2C look like?
Valeska Erkens: We currently generate about 35% in our own retail in the Central region. The more dynamic growth expectations are clearly in the Wholesale, where we specifically rely on strategic partnerships and new market segments.
How many ECCO stores are there in Germany or global?
Valeska Erkens: We are currently working with 52 O&O (online and offline) store in the Central region, 20 in Germany. Some dealers have the feeling that Germany would be out of view at Eccozuzuat.
How important is ECCO the German market?
Valeska Erkens: Germany is of central importance for us. We appreciate our loyal partners and consumers who are real fans of the brand. However, we have not always provided the optimal offer for you in recent years. In Germany, as in the entire region, we worked intensively on it in 2024 – we were closely in contact with our partners to understand their needs and expectations of us, used analyzes and thus revised the collection and our communication. Our partners’ feedback was extremely valuable for us. The results are visible with the new collection content and initiatives 2025 and beyond. This includes the selection of new styles, the expansion of successful model groups, the expansion of the commercial corner price locations are some positive examples that have arisen – all of the steps that have the potential to strengthen the market sustainably.
Casper Gram hvejsel: ECCO is a global company with a presence in almost 100 markets worldwide. We are proud to share our passion for shoe handicrafts with consumers and partners across different cultures and regions. Europe – and especially Germany – remains a key market for us. Its importance will continue to grow, and we are investing specifically in the expansion of our presence and even closer cooperation with our partners in Germany.
Were there price increases or will there be price increases?
Valeska Erkens: The H/W 2025 collection was specifically strengthened, with new commercial and fashionable styles and color worlds as well as expanded functionalities. At the same time, we have strategically expanded our price architecture in the commercially relevant segments in order to meet the market requirements.
Are there any plans to make adjustments to the calculations to accommodate the dealers?
Valeska Erkens: The economic success of our partners is influenced by numerous factors. Our focus is on the partnership cooperation and the optimization of our results directly at the point of sale. An effective visibility of the brand and strong removal are particularly important for us, which ensure sustainable success in both sides.
