It's becoming more and more common to see consumer brand manufacturers opening their own stores (both brick and click). Apple, Burberry, Hugo Boss, Nike, Microsoft, Prada, Procter & Gamble (e-store) and Tesla are among those looking to make direct connections with consumers to learn more about them and boost sales in the process.
Based on estimates, more than 40 percent of consumer brands now sell directly to consumers in one form or another. One example is Victorinox AG, the largest maker of Swiss army knives in the world. While the company already operates 75 stores around the globe, it doesn't have a store in Switzerland. That will change today, Bloomberg News reports, when it opens its first flagship store on Bahnhofstrasse, the main shopping street, in Zurich. The 2,370 square-foot store opening coincides with the company's celebration of 130 years in business.
"The investment in stores is really an investment in the perception of the brand," Carl Elsener, CEO of Victorinox, told Bloomberg. "With our own retail shops, we can support the strategically important markets and promote brand awareness."
