Words of the wise: Wolfgang Gruber of Meini Sport & Mode in Laax

Wolfgang and Doris Gruber are the owners of successful Meini Sport & Mode in the centre of the rocksresort LAAX. Where they attach importance to the day-to-day contact with their customers, Wolfgang Gruber gives it away in our latest blog.

Wolfgang, how did you get involved with Meini Sport & Mode?

?After my training as sports products salesmen, I spent one winter season in Arosa and worked 17 years at Lenzerheide in one of the best and most beautiful sports shops of the alpine region. This resulted in two realizations: First of all, retailing specialized sports products is a difficult industry, and secondly, if I ever manage my own business, it should be Meini Sport & Mode, here in Laax. 1999 my wish became a reality.

Why? Because of the skiing area, the proximity to the mountains?

The location as well as the surrounding infrastructure are of course central. If the railways are not running, fewer people will walk past us. The rocksresort is innovative and modern – which also strengthens and drives us. And, yes, for me, there is nothing more beautiful than skiing. I love the mountains.

However, that alone is not yet reason enough to run Meini Sport & Mode. We rather want to experience something with the customers. My wife Doris, my employees and I would like to share the passion and fascination of the sport, the joy to beautiful sports fashion – with people we feel connected with. We create these experiences in different ways: In the business, at events, with the visit of suppliers and ski producers, just like zai, on the mountain,… I am already looking forward to the next winter (smiles).

So, the products you are selling are not the main focus?

One cannot be absolute on that one. We are “Sports and Fashion people”. We want to offer the best to the customers. That means that the products play a central role. We agreed on a small assortment of sport and fashion ranges. This includes well-known brands such as Kijus, Bogner, St?ckli and zai. But, not only those, of course, we offer a variety of in fashionable brands.

To do so, we have to go at least two steps further: We join our customers on the mountain, and we go with them to see manufacturers. The experienced world is right in front of our doorstep. Our customers value the fact that we are not only selling them the latest developments but also joining them with those on the mountain.

But, even this is also no longer enough these days – our customers want to understand exactly, what and who stands behind a product. The origin and the philosophy of our suppliers are important to them. With our role as buyers, we have direct contact with the manufacturer. We know you and our other partners such as Bogner and St?ckli personally. We make use of that by visiting you in Disentis at the factory with our best customers and taking them out for dinner afterwards, to have a discussion and philosophize about everything we have seen.

Are competitors in St. Moritz or Lenzerheide doing the same?

Hopefully, we are not the only ones doing that! Because that is the way. In a saturated market, people no longer shop that much. Perhaps, one doesn’t want to buy a new jacket out of a real need but to embody a certain lifestyle. This could result in a change of brands as a customer since I am looking for an affiliation, or I want to support a philosophy.

The customer wants to know, why a certain product has a certain price: Is it the function, or the material, or both (or neither of them)? Today’s customers are informed people. They want to look behind the curtain.

What is the reaction of manufacturers?

The companies we are visiting value that and open their doors for us as well as our customer. The interest is mutual. Manufacturers visit us regularly and want to know what sells best, what doesn’t, and our thoughts on potential changes to their models. Such a co-operation gives you obviously a great deal of pleasure.

Everything to please the customer?

Yes, at the end it is about the customer and his needs. But, to recognize those needs, one has to understand and like people. I often talk about the 4 M. “Man muss Menschen m?gen [One has to like people]”. This applies to the salesperson as well as the buyer. Recently, I showed a Hungarian gentleman a modern jacket. At the till he quoted a sales coach: “People buy things from people who like them.”

How does one manage to like People without coming across like a suck-up?

We approach people without prejudice. In the last 15 years, we managed to create a relaxed and honest relationship with our customers and friends. Regular customers enjoy coming to us. We are a service provider. We help and solve problems for our customers. If I have a good ski on my foot and my day has been beautiful, then, I will be even happier. That is our business. We see ourselves as puzzle piece of perfect holidays. The people come to us because they feel comfortable with us. It is our mission to learn from customers and cater to their needs.

In the end, it is about a business transaction. Goods for money.

Yes, technically, that is the case. But the buying behaviour has changed. For example, Migros used to have a slogan: “We satisfy hungry people.” These days, we make complacent people hungry. Actually, we have everything.

And what is the consequence?

People buy less. A jacket and trousers, that’s it. We have entered a buyer’s market. The customer decides what he wants. You will notice very quickly whether you are doing a good job, or not. The business does well, and people come to see you, or they not. Therefore, the social authorities of our employees are enormously important. They have to enjoy their work, and they need to be technically trained – much more than in the past! We focus on hiring employees who enjoy learning. Recently, our sales trainer Ralph Keller brought an actress to a sales training. That was unbelievable. Employees learned a lot and were very happy.

Customers expect from us that we always up to date, and we need to ensure that we reflect the variety of interests of our customers in our offers; thus, we organize golf tournaments, snowboard and ski tests, ladies’ nights and much more. When it comes to Ladies’ Nights, my wife Doris invites – for example – partners who complement our range in the areas of jewellery and cosmetics, thereby allowing us to offer comprehensive advice to our customers.

Recently I heard: specialized trade is dead.

I wouldn’t want to sign that off, but it has shifted. The needs of customers are still the main focus, with the difference that these change in the course of the years. Therefore, our employees and we have to work on our skills and refine our proficiency as a service provider at all times.

Even technically, there are plenty of changes. Products become more complex, which demands more from us as a seller. This has the consequence that we had to become a specialist rather than and all-rounder. In my opinion, general stores will have difficult times ahead of them. These days, we can no longer offer the entire range of sports equipment, we can’t. We concentrate on winter sports and fashion. We do what we do best, we drop the rest.

For that, we expand our product range: Our shop is, for example, also the ski depot for many of our customers. People deposit their skis, ski shoes and helmets at our shop and come in the morning with sports shoes or moonboots to the shop to get their freshly prepared ski and dry ski shoes from their depot space. This requires that we are available to our customers during the entire winter season. From early in the morning until late in the evening, on public holidays and Sundays.

So, is the Internet to a degree competition for you?

Not everything one sees in the Internet is available! With premium brands, people still look for human contact. Fashion consists to a large part of consultation and emotions. As a customer, I want to see clothes that suit me, and feel the difference in materials. Doris is very strong in this area as a fashion and style consultant, and that’s what we are concentrating on.

Keyword “new media”. How do you use modern communication and what value do these have for you?

We use our magazine with 48 pages, newsletters and our website to communicate. With these channels, we are trying to stay close to our customers by inviting them to our activities. Nevertheless, we don’t ignore the classical distribution of print products.

One of the most important aspects of communication, irrelevant of the channel, is the personal approach. Generally, and in particular. Doris has, for example, a customer with very small dress sizes. She always looks after her personally, selects a collection in her size and calls her, once a selection is ready. It’s her concern to make her customer happy with the consultation.

Let’s have a look into the crystal ball: where does sports retail go from here?

Fewer people go skiing. The ski sport will become a premium sport. This will result in fewer people being able to afford this sport. This also has positive consequences: Many winter guests have a fear of sharing ski slopes with too many other people. The decrease of winter sports enthusiasts could lead to a more relaxed situation. However, what will remain is the demand for high-quality products.

Now and then, customers ask me whether we will be still there in two years’ time. For me that is not a question. Clearly, there is a chance that the tendency to winters with poor snow will continue, but I am sure that there will always be exceptions. Like the coming winter, that one will be really cold (winks).

Wolfgang Gruber is in the central executive committee of the ASMAS Verband Sportfachhandel Schweiz (with head office in Berne)

VR of the M+MS Dienstleistungen AG, the publishing house Schweizer Sport & Mode

Member of the PSG Premium Sport Group AG in St. Gallen

Rotarian in the Rotary Club Flims Laax