Page 21 - RLI September 2019

Perfection, Integrity,
Discretion
BUCHERER Geneva, Switzerland
Founded in 1888, the family company Bucherer has
one of the most distinguished traditions in the watch
and jewellery industry. In this article, RLI speaks with
Jörg Baumann, Member of the Group Management at
Bucherer to learn more about the heritage of the Swiss
company and find out what the future holds.
20 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL SEPTEMBER 2019
“Our vision is to
redefine the luxury
shopping experience
and turn it into a
journey of discovery”
ucherer 1888 is home to an exclusive range of recent example of this is the Bucherer BLUE collection
watches from some of the world’s most prestigious which is a key driver that adds innovation and freshness to
brands as well as watch creations from from Carl the market with its amazing watch partners.
B F. Bucherer, the in-house manufacture. The company “Bucherer BLUE has become a success beyond our wildest
also designs exquisite jewellery collections and are always on dreams. This proves that fresh offers, out-of-the-box-thinking
hand to custom-make individual pieces of jewellery for its clients. and differentiation are as relevant as ever. This concept is a
The brand is currently present at 36 exclusive locations wonderful playground to be bold, try out new things and reach
in Europe, with 17 stores in Switzerland, 10 in Germany, out to younger audiences that look for exceptional products.”
a flagship store in Vienna, the world’s largest watch and Social media has become a key channel to reach and
jewellery store in Paris, a store in Copenhagen, Denmark connect with people in the modern world. The team
and six boutiques in London. observe huge interest from collectors but also first-
In January 2018, Bucherer also took over the US luxury time buyers evaluating their watch partner. They follow
watch retailer Tourneau, which has 28 stores across the a 360-degree approach – and tell the same story with
US, and in summer 2018, Bucherer took over another all their channels and instore to transport a consistent
establishment – Baron & Leeds - with its four luxury watch message throughout the customer journey.
and jewellery stores in Hawaii. “It is integrated as part of our communication mix and
“Bucherer continues to expand to new territories, as it is a perfect platform for fresh storytelling and engaging
highlighted by our recent acquisitions. But we are also customers. It offers options to connect with our consumers
refreshing our core brand Bucherer 1888 to position it as a that didn’t exist before social media. We observe that this
contemporary luxury player,” explains Jörg Baumann, Member is a channel used by younger cohorts, especially the very
of Group Management at Bucherer. “We want to show our important Instagram,” says Baumann.
relevance for today’s customers and future customers alike.” Baumann believes that customers remain loyal because
In recent months the company has launched new the company has worked hard since the very beginning to
flagships in Geneva and Zurich. When designing new stores establish trust in the brand. This trust he says is built on
they always consider the local culture which can even be competence, credibility and an outstanding reputation. The
very different in the same country. The Geneva boutique is company also permanently strive to always be a source of
a very elegant store located in a prominent historic building inspiration for its customers and they do this through their
of the city, whilst Zurich is Switzerland’s dynamic business own passion for the business. Along with this, they continue
and cultural centre, so for this store the company planned to offer a great choice, perfect service and sector expertise.
a contemporary boutique with very bold architecture. Innovation, out of the box approaches and partnerships
“The one thing that these flagships have in common is the with virtually all watch producers that go long back in
highest attention to detail: we always follow our values like history are some of the reasons that Bucherer 1888 has
impeccable hospitality and an outstanding offer of the finest names/ enjoyed success over such a sustained period of time.
brands in watches and outstanding jewellery,” explains Baumann. So what lies ahead and what does Baumann perceive to be
In the coming months there is an exciting upcoming the greatest challenge facing the company as it looks forward?
project in London’s Covent Garden as well as refreshments
“Our vision is to redefine the luxury shopping experience
of the Düsseldorf and Hamburg boutiques along with and turn it into a journey of discovery. We think this is
a huge challenge. This literally concerns all touchpoints,
opening of a boutique in the legendary KaDeWe luxury
department store in Berlin.
physical and also increasingly, digital. We look forward to
this challenge in the coming years and maintaining our
At 131 years old, the company still continues to develop
new products and initiatives to stay at the cutting edge. A strong market position,” concludes Baumann.
BUCHERER BoUtiqUE and Café loUnGE
Zurich, Switzerland
BUCHERER BoUtiqUE
Geneva, Switzerland
MAY 2019 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL 21