BRANDE, Denmark, 2017-Aug-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — Offices, stores, educational institutions, hotel, playground: BESTSELLER is re-thinking the classic idea of a headquarter, invites the local community to join in and creates a long-term plan for the company’s presence in Brande, where the head quarter is located.
When the freeway by Brande opened a few years back, BESTSELLER prepared a future expansion by connecting its current grounds on the inside of the freeway to its land on the other side of the freeway. The investment plans have now been revitalised and the project has moved into a clarification phase before the final decision is made.
THE PROJECT PLAN
The plan is to create an exiting environment where shopping becomes an integrated part of a greater experience with office environments, public activities and education integrated in a shared, rethought setup. The area will be home to up to 30 stores that will be a mix of BESTSELLER’s own stores and external non-fashion-stores. Add to this, plans of hotel accommodation, educational facilities and not least multiple BESTSELLER offices.
EXTENSION TRUE TO THE BESTSELLER SPIRIT
The project will focus on incorporating BESTSELLER’s core values and it will not be a classic shopping mall – rather, it will be an extension of BESTSELLER’s current activities in Brande. “Retailing and store environments are part of our DNA in BESTSELLER and it therefore makes perfect sense to mix real life customer experiences into our daily life. Real customers provide us with learnings that we can use to become even better at what we do,” says project responsible Anders Krogh Vogdrup about the reasoning for the project.
INVOLVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
Part of the new project will focus on opening doors and inviting the local community to join in to create experiences and shopping opportunities for the people and the local associations in Brande. The plan is to give something back to the town and its people by establishing nature walks, playgrounds or similar initiatives as part of the project:
“For more than 30 years, we have been very happy to have our home in Brande, and we feel we are a natural part of the local community. This is felt both in relations to our physical presence, the many colleagues that live in Brande and the number of local initiatives that we have supported throughout the years,” says Anders Krogh Vogdrup and continues:
“We would like to open our doors by rethinking the way our company interacts with the local community, and we hope to be able to create value for both our colleagues and the people in Brande,” he adds.
BASE FOR NEW LIFE
“The project is not to be seen as a rival to the current store environment in downtown Brande, rather it is a supplement to the existing opportunities in the town. The hope is that it can create a sustained customer base in Brande,” Anders Krogh Vogdrup explains and is backed by the local trade association:
“We see BESTSELLER’s project plan as a great opportunity for the town. An opportunity that can help create a dynamic life in all of Brande – not just for BESTSELLER– but very mush also for the local businesses in Brande. A larger customer base is beneficial for all parties,” says Hans Ulbrichsen from Brande Trade Association.
ICONIC HIGH-RISE
The most distinctive element of the new project is a central high-rise building projected to +200 meters.
“The overall building project is thought as an investment in Brande, and the planned high-rise building will function as an icon for the new expansion. It will be a landmark that places Brande on the map, but it will also function as an architectural attraction benefitting hotel guests, students and other users of the building,” he explains.
“The plan is born out of the passion and interest for architecture and a vision of creating a unique building that matches the unique setup of a rethought headquarter,” he finishes.
ADDITIONAL FACILITIES
For some time, Brande has experienced a lack of accommodation facilities for the town’s businesses, and oftentimes business guests end up being send to cities like Herning, Silkeborg, Vejle or even Aarhus to stay the night. BESTSELLER would like to change this and the new project will therefore also contain hotel facilities for BESTSELLER’s own guests and external guests. Furthermore, there are plans to welcome educational institutions to create more life and vigour for the area.
There has not yet been set a date for the project start, but it will be 2019 at the earliest.
Contact:
E-mail: contact@bestseller.com
Phone: + 45 99 42 32 00
Source: Bestseller