Bestsellers, trends, and a store in Milan: Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf's FW24 buying season

Much is happening at the Düsseldorf-based fashion retailer Peek & Cloppenburg. Following a reorganisation, the company has restructured its management and plans to reduce the size of some sales areas. Nevertheless, business must go on, and buyers are travelling to trade fairs and to purchasing appointments as usual.

FashionUnited asked Kai Stolte, womenswear buying director at Peek & Cloppenburg B.V. & Co. KG, Düsseldorf, about what's important for autumn/winter 2024, which pieces are currently performing well, and what needs improvement in the industry. The fashion retailer also talks about its plans for Peek & Cloppenburg’s first store in Italy.

What lessons have you learned from winter for the upcoming buying season?

Kai Stolte: Given the dynamic progression of the seasons, we will increasingly focus on the demand for ready-to-wear items in the coming seasons. Our customers - especially those in the mid and upper price range - are looking for something special. We are taking this into account with the design of our mixed product range to create a bolder and more innovative offering.

As a multi-brand retailer, we offer a wide range of styles. This gives us the opportunity to incorporate the core strengths of the individual brands into our range, moving away from repetitive basics and towards individual brand orientations with the aim of creating an attractive overall range with fashionable highlights for our customers.

What are your current bestsellers?

Denim is making a comeback, with new styles entering the mainstream across all age groups. Skirts from satin to denim, from leather to polyurethane, in all shapes and lengths will dominate the summer season. As a transition, knitwear in new forms and colours will continue to perform well.

And what will you be ordering less of now?

There isn't just one theme that we are cutting back on. Instead, we want to increase the dynamism of our overall range for our customers and keep giving them new incentives to visit our stores and our webshop. Our range should inspire - to achieve this, we curate bolder collections at different trend levels and rely on a good mix in our brand portfolio - from classic to 'fashionably contemporary' to premium.

What trends will define the FW24 season?

We are seeing more subtle, calmer, higher-quality collections. Many partners are doing away with prints in FW25/25 or offering them in a much more monochrome style. Instead, the focus is on varied fabric types, textures and surfaces. Tailoring is still here, but is more feminine and flowy. We also see casualness with oversized blazers and wide trousers or in broken looks with "blousons instead of blazers".

Feminine layering looks made from fine knitwear, satin fabrics and soft jerseys as well as playful details such as flounces or ruffles. Denim remains as a base or in an 'all-over' look. And later in the season, we will see a return to more opulence with metallic and sequins in new variations and shiny materials.

Which collections and labels are you paying special attention to this season?

Our colleagues in the purchasing department are travelling to all the important trade fairs, scouting trends and have a feel for what's coming. This applies to our existing brand portfolio and also to newcomers. Our aim is to inspire our customers time and again with our curated goods.

Are there any standout colours that are very popular at your stores??

In addition to natural and earthy colours, we also find pastel shades that lose some of their ‘sweetness’. There are collections with accent colours that set the tone in shades of striking red, pink, or blue.

Are last year's price increases still very noticeable for you?

The majority of suppliers are of course aware of customers' price sensitivity, although the price markups are much more moderate this season. As a rule, price points are not being exceeded - and if they are, this shift is reflected in the quality and design of the goods for the customer. Goods with these ‘new price points’ can complete the offers here and there.

Where is there currently a greater need for dialogue?

Seasonal trends are becoming more dynamic. And the factors behind this are becoming increasingly diverse. Trends are developing faster and so are customers' demands to be able to buy the goods more quickly. In principle, an intensive dialogue with suppliers as well as courage and passion for new, innovative collections on the part of both producers and retailers is therefore essential.

Peek & Cloppenburg is also opening its first store in Italy this year. How are you approaching the ordering process for the location in fashion metropolis Milan?

Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf: In principle, we take into account local conditions and adapt our offer accordingly. The market launch in Italy remains an exciting experience at all company levels.

This interview was conducted in writing.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.DE. Translation and edit by Veerle Versteeg.