Bene plans substantial sales growth in Germany
Bene plans substantial sales growth in Germany
In the first half of 2019 Bene met its growth targets for Germany and reported very positive business development there. The company’s branch offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich all contributed to this strong result, together with a significant increase in the number of specialist retail partners throughout the country. With around 20% of the company’s total sales, Germany is Bene’s most important core market after Austria; medium-term plans for the international office furnishing specialist include double-digit sales growth in Germany.
For the Bene Group, Germany is the most important core market after Austria: in addition to direct sales through the company’s own branch offices, the aim is to strengthen sales through specialist retailers. This is in line with the strategy agreed by the international office furnishings expert two years ago, targeting dynamic growth in Germany with a substantial focus on retail trading partners. With this in mind Bene has over the last two years purposely extended its exclusive and enduringly successful partnerships with specialist dealers and more than doubled the number. As a result Bene now has representation throughout the whole of Germany and is able to undertake office projects of any scale.
In order to achieve the double-digit sales growth planned for Germany, Bene will continue to expand its network of dealerships into the future. New trade partners will be carefully selected and will have to meet the high quality standards that Bene applies within the company and to its products. The appeal for dealers is not only the extensive product portfolio, covering all aspects of the modern working environment, and office furnishing projects of all sizes, but also the high recognition value of the Bene brand, and the company’s reputation as a trendsetter in this sector. ISO 38200 certification means Bene also offers its partners the assurance that its office solutions are produced using only legally and sustainably produced woods. The partnership arrangement between Bene and its trading partners allows optimum visibility for Bene products in the showrooms of these partners, which then function as valuable ambassadors for the Bene brand.
The growth strategy sees Bene’s own locations in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich concentrating on key account business. Key factors in Bene’s success with these (often international) customers include high-level planning skills, innovative products such as the recent PIXEL and STUDIO by Bene, and the company’s wealth of expertise on relevant trends and developments that will influence working lives in the future. Projects completed for prominent clients such as Bertrand AG, Handelsblatt Media Group, MMM – Multi Media Marketing GmbH, Scout24, Sparkasse Oberpfalz and Tchibo, as well as multi-year framework agreements with international customers, all contribute to Bene's impressive reputation for innovative planning and efficient implementation.
“We are confident that our strong brand identity and high quality products are in good hands with our trade partners in Germany, and regard our dealerships as a vital part of the Bene identity,” says Michael Fried, Executive Board Member for Sales, Marketing and Innovation at Bene, talking about the successful expansion of the dealer network. He continues: “In the second half of 2019 and in 2020 we plan to expand these strategic partnerships still further. This will ensure we are well-placed to meet our ambitious growth targets in Germany.”
