26 January 2024

Success factors of the fashion retail in Austria presented by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce with winners in digital and analog categories: inspire creativity, appeal to all the senses, reduce waste,...

This week, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Federal Committee for Fashion and Leisure Articles Trade presented the winners of the 'New Ways to Reach the Customer' competition for successful strategies in target group marketing and sales. The competition aimed to showcase companies that are achieving measurable success using either digital or analog methods. Six cash prizes were awarded in two categories: Digital (e.g. click & collect, omnichannel, customer apps) and Analog (e.g. in-store customer frequency campaigns, local guerrilla marketing).

The winner in the digital category was Salzburger Heimatwerk. Located prominently on Residenzplatz in Salzburg's old town, the shop specializes in Austrian traditional clothing, the dirndl. In the nationwide competition, the company was recognized for its 'Dirndl Designer' on https://www.salzburgerheimatwerk.at/produkt-kategorie/dirndldesigner/, which allows customers to get creative and design their own dirndl online, choosing from different cuts and fabrics. The digital prototype is displayed on the screen and the customer can decide whether to buy the fabrics or have the dirndl sewn.

In the analog category, the store of the design label Shakkei in Vienna's 7th district won for its experiential approach, which combines Japanese landscape painting with scents, decorations and hands-on activities. The Austrian Chamber of Commerce noted that the store emphasizes customer loyalty through service and sustainable practices, such as reusing packaging materials as decorative elements. Shakkei is one of the most active fashion design labels in the country, known for runway shows at MQ Vienna Fashion Week, collaborations with projects and exhibitions such as the 'Wiener Bluse' project (article) about the development of the characteristic blouse by a Viennese manufacturer and retailer. Last year, Shakkei was selected as one of the winners of the first Austrian award for ecological textiles 'Vivienne' for the development of a zero-waste pattern kit for DIY fans (article).

Günther Rossmanith, Chairman of the Fashion and Leisure Articles Trade, praised in the press release the flexibility and customer-centric approach of fashion retailers, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and rewarding such forward-thinking initiatives. The competition reflects the industry's adaptation to changing times and the development of customer-tailored offerings.

Images, from above: Award ceremony in Salzburg: Committee Chairman Deputy Moritz Schliesselberger, Salzburger Heimatwerk department head Gabriela Gastelsberger and managing director Gundi Schirlbauer, Committee Chairman Deputy Marianne Köhler and Specialist Group Manager Antonia Linner-Gabriel. Photo: © Maria Rausch.

Below: Award ceremony in Vienna: Harald Sippl, Managing Director of the Fashion and Leisure Articles Trade Department of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, award winner Gabriel Baradee, founder and designer of Shakkei, with colleague, Fashion and Leisure Articles Trade Chairman Günther Rossmanith. Photo: © Johanna Fangl.