Interview • 01.05.2012

Shop fitting is also in great demand in the leisure industry

iXtenso interview with Gerhard Pennekamp, owner of deco leisure GmbH, Wesel

Gerhard Pennekamp: The U.S. is still the leader in the leisure industry....
Gerhard Pennekamp: The U.S. is still the leader in the leisure industry.
Source: deco leisure

”Deco“ means design and “leisure” of course refers to leisure time. The two English words precisely indicate what the German company from Wesel in the Lower Rhine area does. It designs rooms for retail, the hotel and restaurant industry and the leisure industry. When Gerhard Pennekamp became Managing Partner in 2003, furniture manufacturing and interior design were the company’s key aspects. Today this also includes international project management.

Technically, you are a furniture manufacturer. How did deco leisure come to be?

Many furnishings and fittings for shops and restaurants are also needed in theme parks, but they are very sophisticated when it comes to design. Since we realize the requested design ourselves in our facility, we can completely meet the demands of theme parks. Today 40 associates work at our headquarters in Wesel, who annually serve about 250 projects for international customers. deco leisure was started in 1995 within the Deco Group, established in 1932, and focuses on convenience and leisure.

What significance does traditional shop fitting have in your company?

Classic shop fitting still has great significance. It has more of a “chain store” character. In contrast, the furnishings and fittings in recreation centers should be seen as individual projects.

Today the main focus is on international project management. What do you do and where?

We work all over Europe for many different companies. Our main countries are England and France.

What are the special requirements for shops at theme parks?

Theme park shops mostly sell merchandise articles. These are often showcased on slatwall panels to achieve the largest possible flexibility. The range of products in theme parks is oftentimes very similar; there are key chains, baseball caps and T-Shirts.

How do gift and souvenir shops turn into experience stores?

Generally, an experience store has a specific theme. For example, this could be a shop designed after a comic strip – for instance Sponge Bob or Disney – or a medieval-themed restaurant.

Museum gift shops oftentimes look more like bookstores. How is the museum theme reflected in the store?

One example of practical experience: Madame Tussauds Shop in London. Many interesting items are vividly displayed and sold here for instance. The shop design is correspondingly elaborate.

Which materials do you recommend for the hospitality industry in recreation centers?

Natural materials always look authentic. Great decoration is also important. The ambiance in the gastronomical establishments should reflect the experience and the theme of the recreation center, respectively.

Which hospitality design do you take special pride in? And why?

I would love to mention KLM Catering Schiphol Airport Amsterdam. This is a simple and yet very harmonious design project that aims at selling high quality food creations.

How do you avoid royalty arguments in shop and restaurant design? Sponge Bob costs money. What is permitted?

You can only avoid license fees, if you create your own characters. Small theme parks have their own icon characters, which are specified in the corporate identity.

Is the U.S. still the trendsetter in the leisure industry? What is happening in Russia for example?

The U.S. is still No. 1 in the leisure industry. Theme parks like Disney and Universal continue to be unmatched in terms of what they offer. Other countries very often attempt to copy these qualities.

Which projects are you currently working on?

Presently we are working for a very large wellness provider among other things, as well as on themed furnishings for cruise ships.

At the EuroShop 2011, you received the AIT Innovation Award by the AIT architectural magazine. What has become of it?

That is correct; in collaboration with the LEaD Light Company, we won the award in the “Architecture and Presentation” category for our jointly developed product “DayLEaD”. Lighting is a fundamental topic for every furnishing manufacturer. LED is the technology of the future and can be very well incorporated in our décor projects.

Supplier
Logo: DECO LEISURE GmbH

DECO LEISURE GmbH

Am Schornacker 31
46485 Wesel
Germany
Interview by René Schellbach, iXtenso.com

related articles:

popular articles:

Thumbnail-Photo: Payment as a success factor: more than just paying...
15.01.2024   #Tech in Retail #payment systems

Payment as a success factor: more than just paying

Flashback to 1994: databases and ERP systems, first commercial websites, mobile phones with colour displays, CD-ROMs, Java as a programming language ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Ask the Bot: generative AI in retail
02.01.2024   #Tech in Retail #food retail

Ask the Bot: generative AI in retail

Revolution in retail: the era of generative AI and AI bots

They are able to analyse data, write product descriptions, answer shoppers’ questions or write codes...

Thumbnail-Photo: Trigo and Netto Announce Autonomous Supermarket with Real-Time Receipt...
24.01.2024   #Tech in Retail #artificial intelligence

Trigo and Netto Announce Autonomous Supermarket with Real-Time Receipt Capability.

‘Final step’ in frictionless shopping drives trust by enabling consumers to view their receipts BEFORE leaving the store
Full size 800m2 grocery supermarket powered by computer vision AI is Europe’s largest retrofitted frictionless store

Trigo, a leading provider of AI computer vision technology that transforms traditional brick-and-mortar retail outlets into digital smart stores, and discount supermarket chain Netto Marken-Discount (also known as Netto), have partnered to launch ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Nedap teams with Foot Locker to extend RFID project...
05.10.2023   #omnichannel #software applications

Nedap teams with Foot Locker to extend RFID project

Foot Locker successfully matches supply and demand in newly opened stores in Eastern Europe using RFID technology

Nedap the global leader in RFID solutions, announces that multi-brand sports fashion and apparel retailer Foot Locker has successfully extended Nedap iD Cloud to its new, Eastern European stores. The objective is to offer the best possible ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Unified Commerce Platform in focus
24.10.2023   #omnichannel #software developement

Unified Commerce Platform in focus

Handover at REMIRA: Dirk Bingler supersedes Stephan Unser as CEO

REMIRA is setting the course for future development of the company: On November 1, Dirk Bingler (48) will become the new CEO of the supply chain and omnichannel software expert headquartered in Dortmund. The previous CEO Stephan Unser (62) moves to ...

Thumbnail-Photo: MPREIS Transforms Operations with Zebra Workcloud Task Management™...
06.11.2023   #customer experience #software developement

MPREIS Transforms Operations with Zebra Workcloud Task Management™ Software Solution

Austrian food retailer to streamline communication in around 300 stores to improve staff engagement, inventory optimisation, and customer satisfaction

MPREIS has around 300 Austrian stores in regions across Tyrol...

Thumbnail-Photo: Out of Stock in Retail and innovative solutions to avoid them...
07.11.2023   #brick and mortar retail #customer satisfaction

Out of Stock in Retail and innovative solutions to avoid them

Due to various events, the availability of goods in retail will be increasingly restricted from 2022, with the result that customers cannot find in food retail the products they wish to buy, because those products are sold out, are temporarily ...

Thumbnail-Photo: EuroCIS 2024 - technology special
11.12.2023   #online trading #e-commerce

EuroCIS 2024 - technology special

The latest technology solutions and trends for you and the retail sector

At EuroCIS 2022 from February 27 to 29, 2024, the Leading Trade Fair for Retail Technology, we will be looking at all the important and current topics relating to technology in retail: AI and Machine Learning, Payment, Connected Retail, Seamless Store and Smart Energy Management and many more.

Thumbnail-Photo: EuroCIS 2024: Go beyond today!
16.10.2023   #retail #Tech in Retail

EuroCIS 2024: Go beyond today!

27 to 29 February 2024 will see the Who’s Who of Europe’s retail technology sector meet in Düsseldorf

Go beyond today! EuroCIS at the end of February will once again show solutions and products for the retail of the future @Messe DüsseldorfIn late February, numerous companies will again exhibit solutions and products for retailers to shape and ...

Thumbnail-Photo: The global state of autonomous stores
18.12.2023   #Tech in Retail #self-checkout systems

The global state of autonomous stores

The stores are located in various retail segments such as food retail, fashion, electronics, convenience stores and fast food.

In a highly competitive global retail landscape, autonomous stores are an emerging force that addresses changing consumer behaviors, reduces operational costs, improves profitability, and powers revenue growth strategies. Advancements in autonomous ...

Supplier

Zebra Technologies Germany GmbH
Zebra Technologies Germany GmbH
Ernst-Dietrich-Platz 2
40882 Ratingen
REMIRA Group GmbH
REMIRA Group GmbH
Phoenixplatz 2
44263 Dortmund
Innovative Technology Ltd.
Innovative Technology Ltd.
Innovative Business Park
OL1 4EQ Oldham
Captana GmbH
Captana GmbH
Bundesstraße 16
77955 Ettenheim