Q&A With Remon Koster, Sales Representative for the Netherlands at Studio 9

In today’s shifting retail landscape, it can be a challenge to meet the ever-changing demands, and attract consumers to physical stores, while providing them with a unique brand experience again and again. Amidst this complex scenario, Studio 9 emerges as a trusty advisor with its one-stop-shop solution. Renowned for its comprehensive expertise in design, compliance, sustainability, and development, Studio 9 excels in creating customized retail environments that not only meet functional demands but also tell the brand’s story through the shopping experience. Headquarter in Denmark, Studio 9 may be a relatively new player in the Netherlands, but the company has already experienced significant growth under the stewardship of its sales representative, Remon Koster.

Beginning his career in fashion retail at the young age of 15, Remon has developed a multifaceted understanding of the industry over the years through hands-on experience in buying and a degree in small business and retail management. In his role at Studio 9, Remon's expertise is integral to shaping the brand concepts for lifestyle retailers, driving the company's growth in the Dutch market. We sat down to learn more about Studio 9, the company's unique position in the market, and what sets them apart from the rest.

What type of services does Studio 9 offer?

"At Studio 9, we develop brand identity concepts for distinctive brand experiences, offering honest, effective solutions tailored to our clients' unique needs. Our comprehensive services include everything for a physical retail store setup, such as display cases, hangers, mannequins, window and in-store displays, and store fixtures. Catering mainly to fashion and lifestyle retailers, we also provide trimmings services, covering brand assets like labels, hangtags, buttons, zippers, and badges, plus packaging.

We integrate digital solutions for efficiency and effectiveness. Our Product ID enables brands to implement digital product passports, using digital data carriers like QR, RFID, and NFC. These solutions offer valuable insights like product origin and materials, aligning with global and EU regulations. By this, you are able to show and track every event for each product from manufacturing to inventory, sales and beyond, aiding end-of-life management and enhancing a circular economy.

As a full-service company, we also offer services covering design, compliance, sustainability, sourcing, development, product quality control, and logistics as well. As we like to say, Studio 9 is a one-stop solution for brands."

What makes Studio 9 unique?

"What makes us unique in the market is that we offer a very wide range of products and develop the entire brand identity concept from start to finish. What we've noticed in the Dutch market is that there are a lot of separate players who specialize in certain product areas and offer various services, such as selling hangers or developing packaging or store fixtures. But we are specialized in doing it all. We simplify the process, making it easier and reliable for customers to create unique, fully aligned in-store environments in a one-stop solution.

Recognizing that time is money, we seamlessly integrate various elements to create a leading brand concept. This efficiency is our unique selling point, offering our clients both time savings and enhanced productivity."

How does Studio 9 develop customized retail environments that tell a complete story to customers that align with a brand’s vision?

"As the main point of contact for brands and retailers in the Netherlands, I work closely with Studio 9's Danish team of around 30 professionals, encompassing designers, shop fixture and interior experts, trim specialists, and sustainability and compliance coordinators. Our team, with extensive experience in developing brand concepts, includes members who have worked with leading retailers and brands for many years, bringing valuable industry insights to each project.

Every detail matters to us, even the smallest details across all touchpoints of the brand experience. How our process works is that we reach out to potential clients and tell them about our company, what we do, where we come from, and our product offering. We create an open dialogue with them, looking at how we can best serve them. In some cases, that can look like helping the brand develop an entire concept from start to finish. For others, it may look like helping them implement a rebranding on their trims.

When tackling a new client project, I carefully consider their specific needs, working either independently or with our Danish team to craft unique, tailored concepts. Our Denmark team receives support from our offices in China, Vietnam, Turkey, Bangladesh, and India, enabling us to tap into our global expertise for the best client outcomes. For trims, we maintain teams in key manufacturing hubs for efficiency, while our retail product support extends across Asia and Europe, ensuring a smooth and streamlined process."

How has Studio 9 integrated digital solutions like RFID technology into its services?

"RFID technology enhances retail efficiency in numerous ways, from stock inventory management, tracking products in the supply chain, and identifying top-selling store locations to enabling interactive fitting rooms and self-checkout counters. It renders retail stores more data-driven, streamlining operations, and boosting conversions. The data from RFID can also assist in sales forecasting and minimizing excess orders.

Alongside these RFID services, we're introducing a new platform, Product ID, by Q2 2024. This platform allows brand owners to access data on products, stock management, and supply chains. It includes information on vendors' certifications and CO2 emissions. Consumers can use QR codes to access the platform and learn about product origins, conditions of production, and care instructions. This tool enables brands to interact with customers post-purchase, marketing, repair instructions, resell possibilities, and much more, with brand owners controlling the shared information. Product ID aids in optimizing supply chain operations and provides insights for more effective product management and supports a circular economy."

How has Studio 9 incorporated sustainability into its products and services?

"Our design principles are fundamentally rooted in sustainability, which has been interwoven into our values right from the start. Our sales representatives, in their dialogues with brands, advocate for the use of sustainable, responsibly sourced materials. This involves working with certified materials, recycled and recyclable materials, and mono-materials derived from a single fiber or material source. We particularly try to steer our clients towards the use of mono-materials, emphasizing their easy reusability which increases their lifespan and circularity. Moreover, our focus extends to promoting longevity in the retail environment, which we consider crucial for the future of the industry. We place high emphasis on including multifunctional features, enhancing the durability and lifespan of our products, and ensuring they are suitable for longer seasons. We employ 3D rendering to create virtual samples, significantly reducing the need for physical prototypes and thereby lessening the negative environmental impact.

We're constantly educating both ourselves and our clients about new materials and innovations in the field, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement."

Looking ahead, where do you hope to see Studio 9 in five years' time?

"At this point in time, Studio 9 may not be widely recognized in the Netherlands, but we're setting our sights high. In the coming years, we hope to become a well-known name in the Dutch market. Our goal is to expand our team across various departments here as well, including a robust back office, to provide our clients with the exemplary service they deserve.

At the moment, we're on the lookout for a salesperson in Germany, signaling our entry into a new market. This role mirrors our efforts in the Netherlands, focusing on building a stronger network and enhancing our portfolio.

Looking ahead, our vision for the next five years is to establish Studio 9 as a renowned brand and a one-stop destination for all types of fashion and lifestyle brands and retailers in the Netherlands."