Last autumn an unusual store opened here in Berlin: Original Unverpackt (lit. “originally unpackaged”) is the city’s first supermarket to sell groceries without packaging and in bulk. OU’s founders Milena Glimbovski and Sara Wolf raised the money for their project via crowdfunding which ensured a lively debate in the German media about packaging waste, recycling and food wastage, long before the store even opened.
Category Archives: Mintel
Store Profile: Original Unverpackt in Kreuzberg, Berlin
Filed under Berlin, Industry News, Mintel, Retail, Store Profiles
Mintel article: Berlin perfumery Frau Tonis Parfum
This summer I wrote a profile about Frau Tonis Parfum – one of my favourite perfumeries in Berlin: a beautiful store, great fragrances and they even have a brand cooperation with one of my favourite Berlin bars! Check out the Mintel article here.
Mintel article: Glööckler flagship Berlin
I arrived back in Berlin three days ago. It was a marvellous five weeks away and I’m still trying to sort out all of my impressions. My next trip to that region is already booked, by the way: two weeks in Tokyo in late February/early March plus a few days in Seoul/Korea. I’ve never been to Korea and already have a long list of stores and places I want to visit.
Before taking off for Japan, however, I’ll be visiting Vivaness trade show in Nuremberg. And after my return I’ll be attending Beauty International trade show in Düsseldorf. It looks like 2015 will be full of travelling and trade shows (yay!)
Since I won’t have time to update the blog this week (too much work to do), here is an article I wrote on German designer Harald Glööckler’s new Berlin flagship store this summer. Glööckler is a rather interesting phenomenon, he has a very flamboyant, in-your-face personality and he polarises public opinion. However, when I researched the article, I was surprised by how genuine he appears, despite his obvious and carefully cultivated artificiality. Enjoy the article!
Filed under Berlin, Brand Profiles, Mintel, Retail
Mintel articles: Kauf dich Glücklich and Beauty & Nature
Here are two more Mintel articles, from June and July 2014 – concept store Kauf dich Glücklich in Berlin and organic perfumery Beauty & Nature in Leipzig. Continue reading
Filed under Berlin, Industry News, Mintel, Retail, Store Profiles
Mintel article: MyParfum
Here is my January Mintel article: Internet retailer MyParfum opens fragrance atelier in Berlin – personalised fragrance, bricks ‘n’ clicks, stationary vs. online retail. Please respect the copyright!
Store Profile: Show-rooming and curated shopping at Bikini Berlin
A few weeks ago Berlin’s latest shopping mall opened: the eagerly anticipated Bikini Berlin. It’s a very long building which stretches along Budapester Strasse, extending from Bahnhof Zoo to the Europa-Center. Bikini Berlin describes itself as “Berlin’s first Concept Mall” and it combines curated pop-up stores, brand boutiques and flagship stores on 17,000 sq m of retail space. Their pop-up store concept really is quite impressive. Continue reading
Filed under Berlin, Industry News, Mintel, Retail, Store Profiles, Trends
Mintel article: Am I beautiful?
Here is my October article for Mintel: A reflection of beauty – a report about the exhibition “Bin ich schön?”/”Am I beautiful?” which was shown at Museum für Kommunikation here in Berlin. The exhibition just closed, as a matter of fact, but the next show is already waiting in the wings: Out of Control? Life in a World of Mass Surveillance will open on 21st March.
Filed under Berlin, Exhibitions, Mintel
Store Profile: Vielfach Berlin – hand-made arts & crafts
I came across an interesting new Berlin store yesterday – Vielfach Kreativkaufhaus near Checkpoint Charlie. Owner Carsten Schirrmeister describes his concept as “off-line Dawanda” – for my international readers: Dawanda is the German equivalent of Etsy, an online marketplace for hand-made arts and crafts. Continue reading
Filed under Berlin, Mintel, Store Profiles, Trends
Mintel articles: Harry Lehmann and Manhattan Pop-Up Store
Here are two more articles I wrote for Mintel’s BPC website last year: colour cosmetics brand Manhattan’s first pop-up store in Berlin (publication date: July 2013) and a company profile of Berlin perfumery Harry Lehmann (publication date: August 2013). These articles are copyrighted!
Filed under Berlin, Industry News, Mintel, Retail
Mintel article: Planet Prestige
Here is my Cityscape article on online perfumery Planet Prestige: Planet Prestige covers all the bases. As always: this article is copyrighted so please don’t post it elsewhere! [EDIT: Planet Prestige’s Berlin store has closed down!]