Inno has reopened its Brussels branches on rue Neuve and Avenue Louise after a thorough restyling. The department store chain measures up to a premium positioning with an exclusive look.
Digital and premium
With the remodelling of two Brussels department stores, Inno is taking another step in the strategic repositioning project launched by CEO Armin Devender in 2020, with two clear lines of force: digitalisation and premiumisation. The retailer opened a digital marketplace in 2021 that acts as an extension of the 16 physical stores: visitors will also find brands there that are not on the department store chain’s shelves.
At the same time, the company started remodelling its 16 branches. The first was for Schoten, later Liege, Leuven and Waasland Shopping, among others, already got their makeover. In recent months, the company took care of the important Brussels branches on Rue Neuve and Avenue Louise. These are now experiencing their grand reopening.
New brands
“We are positioning Inno as a premium department store. In the perfume department, we play along at the luxury level, in the fashion departments we stand for premium brands,” says Armin Devender. At the same time, the department store chain wants to be a democratic and accessible destination where everyone remains welcome.
What will change for shoppers? They can shop in a warm and trendy interior in which each department has its own atmosphere and character. The look is stylish and calm, with sitting areas and plants. Eye-catching features include large digital screens and kiosks with touch screens at the escalators and lifts, informing shoppers. New brands make their appearance in different departments. For a break with coffee, smoothies, salads, sandwiches and desserts, there is Inno’s partner Bon.
For foreign luxury shoppers, from June Inno in Brussels and Bruges will offer the Global Blue service, which provides instant VAT refunds on Belgian purchases.
Tide turned?
The first results of the repositioning at the Belgian department store chain are more than hopeful: after two difficult years, Inno realised a positive EBITDA of ten million euros in 2022. With this, the tide seems to have turned.
Although the difficulties at parent company Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof in Germany still cast a shadow over the retailer. That department store group is weighed down by a heavy debt burden and is undergoing a major restructuring. But Inno is sailing an independent course. Rumours about a possible sale of the 16 Belgian stores are premature, the German company reported in February.
