Experience Report
On a
sunny monday afternoon we decided to go to Troisdorf´s pedestrian precinct to
window shop and to get more information about the pedestrian precinct by
interviewing some managers.
We went
into Café Breuer and already at the door you can feel the comfortable
atmosphere of the "coffee-house". At the counter, like at the famous
cake-stall, we recognize a great choice of exquisite chocolate, pastry and
fresh cake from the pastry counter. Because of this great choice of pastry
specialities and chocolate, the confectioner´s store attract young people as
well as older customers.
Café
Breuer, on Kölner Straße 26, is one of the oldest coffee-houses in Troisdorf. It
exists since 1913, has already gone through many historical events, for example
"The Weimar Republic" and both of the world wars, and now it´s the
proud family possession of the third generation. Mr Paul Hebbecker, who is also
the chairman of the "Werbegemeinschaft" ( a consolidation, that
thinks about and discusses the problems, which relate to the stores in
Troisdorf), is the manager of Café Breuer. The confectioner´s store employs
twelve people, amongst others four trainees and four full time workers. The 60
seats in the café offer the visitors the possibility to relax from an
exhausting day.
After
we spoke to the manager of the confectioner´s store we decided to drop into a
department store, which has already closed several times - KAUFHALLE. Although
the building is situated on the main street and the store, which is/was in it
belonged to chain store they stayed just a relatively short time.
The
reason for the closure of the store, the new department store KAUFLAND, which
opened in November of 1996. Because of the great choice of cheap items it
attracts a lot of customers from the smaller stores, and this negativly affects
their turnovers. Next to the food center KAUFLAND offers a lot of different
smaller stores (for further information take a look at "Interview with
KAUFLAND"). Since the opening of KAUFLAND many smaller stores have already
had to close, because they couldn´t handle this change.
Totally
in contrast to the next shop we visit - FANTASIE, a shop where you can buy
presents, for exmple items from DIDDL and Uli Stein. This store employs two
people and six helpers.
After
nine and a half years FANTASIE changed its position in the pedestrian precinct
and extended its scope. Now after six months, this risky change turned out very
positive and also the opening of KAUFLAND didn´t influence the store´s business
very much.
After
the many exhausting interviews we decided to relax in one of the icecream-parlors...