Mr. Stäb, you are a member of the management team at tegut... and have been with the company for over 27 years. What motivates you, and what plans do you have for the future of tegut...?

That reminds me of an anecdote about a classmate I met nearly 28 years ago when I started my apprenticeship at tegut.... He was surprised that I had chosen a career in food retail with my education. For me, retail is defined by its great diversity and the opportunity to work on many different topics. Of course, it's also about making profit, but for me, my work is very much about intrinsic motivation. At tegut..., I had the chance to bring innovation and creativity to the table, which was evident in projects like tegut...teo and tegut...QUARTIER. Both are projects that bear my signature, among others. With these formats, we gained a lot of enthusiasm from the public, which motivates me even more.

There are few professions in retail that are as versatile and exciting as this one. A good example of this is our challenge to implement the 24/7 model for our opening hours. Although the legal solution was initially rejected, a year later, we were allowed to reopen the teos – a process that shows how dynamic and adaptable retail is. It's not just about opening hours, though; it's also about tegut...’s unique selling propositions, such as customer loyalty, trust, product quality, as well as organic products and sustainability. These aspects can be wonderfully combined and offer numerous opportunities. What motivates me the most is the team – such as Waldemar Preis, who together with Schweitzer has created real added value in Weimar. Projects like these generate enthusiasm and strengthen intrinsic motivation to keep moving forward.

Currently, many retail companies are suffering from acute staff shortages. Are you facing the same issue, and if so, how are you addressing this challenge?

Stäb: Staff shortages, especially in our service departments, are a big problem. One of tegut...'s strengths is its excellent service departments, which enable a special kind of customer interaction. However, finding skilled workers is increasingly difficult, as fewer and fewer applications are coming in. This shortage was foreseeable, which is why we are testing new concepts to offer served products in self-service areas with fewer staff. We have to face these challenges and find solutions that allow us to provide a good customer experience even with reduced personnel resources.

Preis: We are constantly developing concepts that allow our customers to enjoy the freshness they would normally find in the service departments, even in self-service formats. With our "service without service" approach, we have already successfully implemented the first stores and would like to roll out this concept in more locations. Here, we offer a fresh counter-like experience, where products are freshly packaged for customers. This way, customers can still access a full range of products, even with reduced staff. It's a significant challenge that requires a lot of planning and organization to ensure everything is available at the right time and in the right form.

Stäb: The demographic change is a fact that we cannot ignore, but we can adapt to the changing needs of customers. Whether it's in the traditional counter or with freshly packaged products from the self-service section – we need to offer flexible solutions that meet the needs of our customers. This transformation requires innovation and adaptability to continue providing a first-class shopping experience.

Preis: Germany is not yet as advanced as other countries, such as Ireland, in terms of modern self-service concepts. There, it is common practice to have a fresh counter that is only 1.20 meters wide, instead of the 12 meters typical in Germany. We can learn from these countries and transfer proven concepts to our market to meet customer needs.

Mr. Preis, our joint project in Weimar involved converting a former slaughterhouse from the 19th century into a tegut... location. Why was this building chosen, and what challenges did you have to overcome?

Preis: This project in this beautiful historic building was a big challenge, but also a project close to our hearts. After initial discussions 10 years ago and several failed attempts, the authorities finally realized that a critical gap in local supply needed to be addressed due to additional residential construction. When I joined tegut..., this was one of my first projects, and I immediately realized that our usual concept wouldn't work here. The building was a five-room apartment that we had to transform into a store. Together with Interstore, we developed a concept specifically tailored to the building, integrating wayfinding, assortment planning, and design.

As a sustainable company, it was important to us to preserve the existing building. Repurposing an old building not only makes sense ecologically but also saves CO2. There were many hurdles, especially when working with the authorities and residents, but through numerous discussions and explanations, we were able to overcome all difficulties.

For the fresh food departments, you have opted for plug-in refrigeration cabinets and counters from Schweitzer's production. Why was that?

Preis: In this project, our goal was to combine the historic heritage of the building with modern aspects. We blended existing elements with modern materials and integrated them into the design. When it came to the refrigeration cabinets in particular, we were faced with the challenge of finding a system that met both maintenance and staffing requirements. Traditional CO2 systems are often very maintenance-intensive and require a lot of personnel, which is problematic due to the declining number of service providers. Therefore, we decided to start a test project with an innovative refrigeration system from Schweitzer to evaluate its noise levels and energy consumption. This solution seemed best suited for the building and fitted perfectly into our concept.

Stäb: After three weeks, it's still too early to make a final evaluation of the energy costs, but the look and design of the refrigeration system are very positive and fit perfectly into the overall concept of the store. The machines installed in the store generate only minimal noise, which customers perceive very positively. It's also noteworthy that there are no obtrusive external or background structures – all in all, a very good result.

The Tegut location in Weimar is the third project you've implemented in partnership with Schweitzer. How satisfied are you with the collaboration? Schweitzer’s sister company, the retail design agency Interstore, takes the creative lead in all projects in close consultation with our clients. Do you feel involved in the design process?

Preis: Schweitzer responded very flexibly to the regulatory challenges and worked excellently with us. The project management was handled very well, and the collaboration with Interstore, particularly with Ms. Zirwes, was goal-oriented and pleasant. Together, we designed the location to fit perfectly with our concept. We communicated clearly about what we liked and what we didn’t, and good alternative proposals were always made, leading to a very successful outcome.

Does the current growth in sales meet your expectations?

Stäb: After three weeks, it’s still too early for a long-term analysis, but we are very satisfied with the start. Our third location in Weimar clearly shows that the city and tegut...are a perfect match.