RETAIL – MORE THAN SHOPPING

Düsseldorf is one of the most popular shopping destinations in Germany. This is also due to a wide range of complementary experiences in gastronomy, leisure, culture, education and services on offer.

Retail is the interface between sustainable products and consumers. How do companies in the region deal with this issue? And what sustainability concepts can be found in Düsseldorf’s retail landscape?

Are stores losing relevance due to online retailing? Not necessarily, because those who shop in town also want to touch, try on and test products, be inspired – and: experience something. This is made possible by retailers with innovative concepts. Nuts Factory, Vorwerk and Wacom, for example. VIVID editor Dominik Deden stopped by in person.

Digitalisation is one of the most important challenges for businesses. Yet, at the same time, it is the only way forward. Multichannel is key. But which technologies do Düsseldorf’s retailers use to shape the customer journey? From life streaming assistants to AI-based self-check-out – VIVID presents some exciting examples.

A digital marketplace for metals, an online platform for clothing repairs, pre-cooked gourmet cooking boxes for a special culinary experience. We introduce you to three exciting Düsseldorf start-ups that want to improve different areas of life with the help of digital solutions.

Due to a flour dust allergy, he has not set foot inside the bakery for some time. And even in his shops, he will rarely sell Hinkelsteine, Kifferkruste and Elsässer bread from behind the counter due to a lack of time: Josef Hinkel has been deputy mayor of the state capital for more than a year and he will leave his mark as a CDU politician. With apparent ease, the 62-year-old former chief of- and Prinz Karneval has so far taken on a number of different roles and changed costumes accordingly. He is an entrepreneur, has become a brand in its own right and is an excellent networker with many connections. And now the Düsseldorf-born man with the cheerful smile so typical of the Rhineland region (“jeck und nett”) is aiming for a serious political career. We meet Josef Hinkel at the Town Hall, in the office he “inherited” from his predecessor Friedrich G. Conzen.

Jonas van Blanken is quite a diverse entrepreneur: he is a perfumer and founder of the brand OSKAR Natural Skincare, managing director and co-founder of the film and photo production company CIRCL Studio and managing director and co-founder of the event studio CIRCL Space. The 36-year-old has lived in very different places around the globe – until he lost his heart in and to Düsseldorf.

After a career of more than 20 years in the beauty industry, Marie-Eve Schröder moved to Facebook, now Meta, in 2019. As Group Director DACH Region, she is part of the global company’s top management. Born in France, she has lived in Düsseldorf for 14 years and has found her home here. During a walk in Benrath’s Schlosspark with VIVID publisher Rainer Kunst, she spoke about plans and visions of Meta and the Metaverse, about data protection and fake news on the internet, the role of sustainability in a tech company – and about her love for the state capital.

The mechanisation of our everyday life continues apace. What role will robots play in this? How can they support us in the challenges that the future will bring? A conversation with Prof. Dr. Elsa A. Kirchner from the University of Duisburg-Essen about great leaps – by man and machine.