Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
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the forefront of marketing in Germany. The company was a pioneer of mul- tichannel retail, according to Müller, ex- panding from catalogs to physical stores and an online shop much earlier than other retailers. Some years ago Manufac- tum installed an in-store organic bakery and restaurant, well ahead of many other retailers in Germany. The company was also an early leader in the type of ecology- driven branding that has gained popular- ity in recent years. Where Manufactum differs from such green brands as The Body Shop and Whole Foods is in its focus on framing old-time handcrafted designs as an antidote to what Hoof called the "plague" of low-cost consum- erism and mechanical "pseudo-innova- tions." Manufactum's merchandise is anything but cheap, to be sure. Among its products are handmade boots with a shearling lining for €798 (about $880) and deer-leather lederhosen for €995. Manufactum's positioning, products and generous 500-to-1,000-square-meter (about 5,000 to nearly 11,000 square feet) footprint give the stores an un- usual ambience, according to Müller. "Their surroundings, their approach to sustainability with regional aspects, high quality and good storytelling about their products create something like a safe haven where the clock ticks a little slower," Müller said. One fan, Paul Ben- nett, chief creative officer at the Ideo de- sign group, describes the retailer as "one of those uniquely German experiences that celebrates the best of German au- thenticity, precision engineering, craft and provenance, in a warm, eccentric environment that feels both modern and retro at the same time." Though Manufactum carries kitch- enware, gardening tools and women's clothes, the dominant tone is still somehow masculine and conservative. Daphne Kasriel-Alexander, consumer trends consultant at Euromonitor In- ternational, describes Manufactum's inventory in a research note as "bespoke shoes and brand-new versions of quality tools your dad threw out of his garden shed 40 years ago." Manufactum has branched out into other ventures: Manufactum Brot&Butter; (a bakery and delicates- sen); Gutes aus Klöstern (products from monasteries, such as beer and liquor); and Magazin, a purveyor of home fur- nishings and furniture that resembles Ikea in everything but its price tags. So far, all the stores are in Germany, though Manufactum has an online pres- ence in Switzerland, Austria and the U.K. Perhaps the good things also stay, for the most part, close to home. S C T David Reif Senior Vice President of Leasing & Construction 407-650-1156 david.reif@nnnreit.com Brian Cooper Director of Leasing 407-650-1206 brian.cooper@nnnreit.com 100% Equity Financing Nationwide Single-Tenant Retail Developer Funding with Forward Commitment 30 S C T / A p r i l 2 0 1 6 r e T a i l i n g T o d a y