New beginning in the shortest possible time
The original business initially remained a ruin, so that Markus Zednik was looking for an alternative. When the dealer roamed the downtown of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler the day after the flood, he noticed a business whose shop windows were under water, but had not given in to the pressure that arose. Reminded of an aquarium, Zednik knew: This will be the new business. “We decided immediately after the flood where we want to go and then devoted ourselves to the other problems.” However, it was so persistent in conversation with the landlords that a shop opening was possible next year. “On May 1, 2022, we were the first retail business to be opened again in the city. Many only followed a year later.”
At the same time, there was a suitable moment with the new area to realign the business. Many of the fashion shops that had previously existed in the city were either destroyed, dealers had closed their shops for reasons of age or moved to another city. As a result, Zednik came up with the idea of renaming his boutique into Dreams Shoes Fashion Lifestyle and offering fashion and decorative things instead of just shoes. The division currently applies: 60% clothing, 30% shoes, 10% home accessories and lifestyle.
“The shoe store that we had in the Steigenberger Hotel went very well; it was also very dependent on a rather special customer that came from Cologne, Düsseldorf or Benelux. These people came here to go some delicious food, drink coffee or for the thermal bath. And this clientele has dropped away since the flood – there was no reason to come from.” There are still customers who come from outside, but especially the locals have remained very loyal to the business. Dreams is still in the construction phase, explains Zednik. He is very satisfied with the development, even if it remains a longer process. “It is always enough for toasted bread with jam, but the time for laughing bars and champagne has not yet come.”