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Jelmoli’s boss, Nina Müller, started her new job in the middle of the running of the bulls. Now she can finally open her house again completely, and she is convinced that people have not lost their joy in beautiful things and are happy to return.
Nina Müller, CEO of Jelmoli since April 1, 2020.
It’s finally here, the day that Nina Müller had longed for since she took over as head of Jelmoli: May 11, which the Federal Public Health Office envisioned as the day that all shops and restaurants open their doors again after crown closure. may
Vorarlberg’s 50-year-old woman started in the traditional department store in Zurich on April 1, and since then only the grocery department in the basement and a small part of the beauty department have been open. Last week the top floor beauty clinic, rented hair salon and flower shop were added.
Good food sale
Now, however, all seven floors can finally open again, and Müller is extremely happy. But you also want to be careful so that customers feel as safe as possible. “In terms of space, 2,400 people, including employees, would be included in the house at the same time, but we started with a maximum of 1,800 people and we watched the situation very closely.” The number corresponds to just over half of the people who visited Jelmoli every hour on good Saturday afternoons before the crisis.
But will customers come? Müller is skeptical about frequencies. But at the same time, she also believes that some people would like to be treated again. This has been demonstrated by the experience of the past few weeks with the food market, which was open the entire time. One is there in terms of sales both above budget and over the past year. “People thanked us for being there for us with our offer.” From a purely economic point of view, the whole affair was hardly worth it due to complex safety and hygiene precautions.
New online store in autumn
The online store also performed very well during the crisis and would probably have generated significantly more sales if it had expanded. But so far only a fraction of the products have been launched, mainly sports and beauty items, the sales share is in the low single-digit percentage range. Müller is currently in the process of converting the ERP system, which is a prerequisite for establishing an efficient store. This should be ready in late fall, and then include at least 20,000 products.
Not only is a strong expansion in the online business planned. Jelmoli will also grow physically in the near future. An airport store has already opened (but is closed until further notice); Two more are planned in the “Circle”, which is expected to open its doors in November. However, at the moment, Müller is focused on the main building in the center of Zurich.
“This is exactly my job”
Müller has always been a fan of department stores when asked how she got this job. “I am the type of person who, when traveling to a city, first visits the museum and then the best department stores.” When he read last August that the previous CEO was leaving Jelmoli, he immediately thought, “That’s exactly my job.” As managing director of the Christ jewelry chain, I was by no means unhappy. “It just felt like a natural next step.”
The joy of beautiful things sold by a Premium department store has already sparked in her parents’ house, says Müller, as has interest in the brands. After completing her studies in economics in Vienna, the young graduate first went to the textile manufacturer Wolford, for whom she worked in Austria and Milan, and then to Mandarina Duck in London. This was followed by a first-in-chief position in a department store, albeit a small one (the Viennese luxury textile store Braun & Co.) and only one that, to his regret, he was unable to build but had to close and shut.
Müller then spent ten years in the $ 1 billion Swarovski group before making a conscious decision five years ago to take a year off. “I was 45 years old and wanted to rethink if I enjoy what I do and if it really suits me.” In doing so, he concluded that his career definitely suits him: “I enjoy leading people and I like to make a difference. So it was clear: I want sales responsibility and leadership responsibility.
Play in the international league
Back in the job market, Müller ended in Christ. He liked to run this traditional chain, even if it lacked internationality. And then why switch to Jelmoli? In terms of sales (2019: CHF 226 million), the new position is a number of footwear greater than Christ (CHF 83 million), but instead of “only in Switzerland”, Jelmoli even operates “only in Zurich”.
Müller sees it differently: As a founding member of IGDS (Intercontinental Group of Department Stores), Jelmoli is one of the world’s leading department stores and competes with a KaDeWe in Berlin, Le Printemps in Paris or Selfridges in London. The exchange is cultivated and therefore the work feels quite international.
Becoming a tourist magnet like the houses mentioned is one of Müller’s ambitions, even if he is more than happy right now that the proportion of foreign visitors is only 10% and that he can count on loyal local customers. May However, the international presence does not mean neglecting the local. On the contrary: in Müller’s opinion, origin is becoming increasingly important in addition to quality and sustainability, be it the cheese from organic farmers in the region or the leather bag from the local manufacturer.
The crown crisis could reinforce this trend, or create entirely new preferences. Therefore, it is particularly important for Müller to remain very attentive: “As department stores, we develop with society. We can only remain relevant to them if we know exactly what our customers want. ”
