Inspiration…

01

If you want to assess the future of alternative drive systems, you have to look at Hyundai. The South Korean manufacturer already offers all major technologies in marketable form. In 2020, it delivered the world’s first serially produced fuel cell trucks to customers in Switzerland. And in Coventry/UK, the company is testing individual air mobility with emissions-free vertical take-off solutions. Andreas-Christoph Hofmann fills us in on plans for the years ahead.

02

Three great cities and three legendary stores: Berlin’s “KaDeWe”, Hamburg’s “Alsterhaus” and Munich’s “Oberpollinger” attract 20 million visitors a year. Since 2015, these KaDeWe Group stores have been fully renovated, also with support from the shop-fitting experts at Vizona. Splitting the flagship store in Berlin into four sections based on plans by Pritzker prize-winner Rem Kolhaas (OMA) has created a particular stir. Norman Plattner is delighted by this transformation and all the processes involved.

03

Retail customers are on the lookout for experiences, relevance, and meaningful connections. That works best in a well-curated product world, one that is close to customers’ own experience of life. But how does good curation actually work? And what extras need adding to the product range? To learn more about this principle, we headed to the source and found inspiration – at the museum.

04

Have you heard of “Transformers”, the successful film and toy franchise? Those vehicles that turn into giant robots as you turn the steering wheel? “Transform and roll out!” – the official battle cry of these Autobots – could also be the motto for your digital strategy. We talked to scenographer Charlotte Tamschick and digital consultant Florian Rotberg to find out why.

05

Strong brands already use captivating narratives as part of their retail strategies. And yet all sectors need to identify and implement new customer experience standards. Inspiration comes not least from new hospitality concepts, which set trends in terms of their design, technology, and service. We sent two aficionados to find out more, discuss their impressions, and sketch out their ideas. The results are as feisty as they are valuable: 10 theses on hospitable architecture and the customer journeys of the future.

06

Human sensory perception is highly diverse, well researched, and yet still full of secrets. Could we maybe fill some gaps in the stationary retail landscape by finding new ways to address the senses? For a discussion as diverting and stimulating as this, we have chosen three different perspectives.

07

Stellantis is the parent of 14 well-known automotive brands and various car-sharing and leasing services. In 2022, the company announced plans to renew its European market presence with a multi-brand strategy. As a longstanding partner to the Stellantis subsidiary Opel, Vizona offered its services as an implementer. It is now realising brand concepts for Citroën, Peugeot, Opel, Jeep, Fiat and its affiliate brand Abarth. In this interview, Vizona CEO Matthias Hummel reports how this new approach was realised and the role it might play in shaping the automotive market, as well as in other sectors.

08

“Blue sky coming.” That is the name of the mobility and car brand NIO in its home country of China. A clean future and a carefree lifestyle: Together, these form a philosophy that should be tangible at NIO Houses, of which there are already more than 125 around the world. More than ever seen before, they are about community building and events. They are open to everyone, regardless of their car ownership. But does this strategy actually work?

Florian Weinzierl, Head of User Relations at NIO Germany, answers our questions in an interview.

09

How much sustainability is actually possible in the world of shopfitting? And what will logistics look like in 2035? Our editorial team spoke to Vizona CEO Oliver Arnold, whose responsibilities include supply chain management. Within the sector, he has observed ever-greater openness to more sustainable solutions both for the fittings themselves and for the ways they reach the stores.