July 9, 2009 
Germany was and still is the country of innovation. A place called Schorndorf in the Schwabenland province also gave contribution to innovation. There you can find experts from the company Concept-s, the leading supplier of systems for a modern design of stores and presentation concepts of optical products…
Schorndorf. In year 1834 Gottlieb Daimler, inventor of gasoline engines, saw the world for the first time in this place. When we talk about the province Schwabenland and the rest of the world: in addition to parsimony, the inhabitants of the province are accused that they approach to everything that’s new with disbelief. This is completely wrong. This area is very much for progress and innovation. And not only thanks to car brand Mercedes. This tradition also regards optician industry. Graduated engineer Lukas Schroll, head of company Concept-s, lives in Schorndorf – he’s a true resident of Schwabenland. Ecven though he spares his words he considers his decisions very good before he says them out loud. Extensive explanations are not his style – for example, he states very pragmatically: “We in Germany have very nice stores with optician products and in comparison with other countries we’re leading in the designing shops.” This opinion is responsible for the success of his company. The architect and interior architectural designer began her career in 1991 on 300 square meters. Today, only the exhibition space is measured over 200 m2. In 2001 they moved from the center to the countryside and built a luxurious headquarter, which will soon be expanded by an additional building.
Company name is marked with entrepreneurial credo: to concept, which comes from the Latin “concipere” – to understand, conceive. Lukas Schroll with its 50 workers does exactly that: considers about the requirements of designing optical shop, about the modern concepts of trade and forms of presentation. “As experts, facilitating shops and plan them, we are thinking the ways optician could better sell his products, and therefore we understand the shop as an instrument of marketing.”
Participating in the optician industry began by a special client order for glasses holder. Glasses were expected to be exposed openly, not in a closed showcase. Millions of copies of these glasses were sold and are still located in the production program. Abiding demand for this successful model created the idea of systems for the presentation of glasses in the form of variable modules, which in a meanwhile begun to be sold directly to opticians or specialists for furnishing shops. Portfolio of products was expanded step by step: from simple glasses holders to complete introductory panels equipped with the latest LED light technology, presenters and display, table display, mirrors, furniture. Even the industry in production and equipping special models of POS marketing display uses expert knowledge of this inhabitant of Schondorf. The third axle makes the area of design, planning and implementation – new development, equipping or partial modernization of trade optical products. Although today only in average of every ten and twelve years an owner decides to invest in the renovation, the director still sees potential for growth of his company.
The desire for individualization
The future belongs to the individual concepts of shops. “Every owner of the shop would, of course, like to have his own little castle. With our system, it’s possible. It is important that each optician represents himself differently, because the competition is very big. So the sunglasses or eyeglasses to read today are offered in supermarkets, pharmacies and at gas station. Optician must create an atmosphere. Buyer should come in the shop with a good feeling. The owner should also pay attention that all areas are equipped to play in the function separately, but also as a whole. Our matrix for planning the shop in five zones takes into account these different requirements. “
Depending on preference and available resources, there are basic concepts, called Basic, Classic and Premium, who contain a range of options from decorating store in particular way when you want to keep track of the price all the way to the realization of High-End Concept-Stores. Finally, it is possible to coordinate modular system with the existing corporate identity by adjusting individual elements, shapes, colors, inscriptions integration, image elements, etc.; solution-measure can be adapted to every need and every wallet.
Creative reflection
The ongoing development and optimization of products are in a concern of a team of industrial designers, engineers, architects of interior architecture and marketing experts. “The great advantage of the system furniture is that it offers alternatives. This simplifies the design and innovative technical solutions. Every year, we offer on the market one to two new versions or improvements to the older system”, explains Lukas Schroll. Standardization of modules primarily guarantees quality. “Before a product even goes into serial production, it has to prove its functionality,” adds head of marketing Kirsten Lind.
Creative design of a shop is the sum of the equipment for space, its deployment, furniture, lighting and the concept of colors. No creativity in furnishing stores and no creativity in product development can not give innovation. In the words of head of marketing: “Except that, we must take in account changes in glasses fashion. Sunglasses, for example, have become larger and the presentation of some models requires the appropriate size of the space in which they are expounded. Or glasses for vision correction; with them, however, focus is on the design framework. Therefore, we designed sideling glasses holder, so that the buyer can see the glasses from the profile. This perspective is known from advertising”.
As in modern design shops so in the presentation of products, everything is in sophisticated modeling. Not in how ostentatious something is. Not in exaggeration and decoration, as we can often see in windows. To do this consistent concepts are required, just like these that arise in Daimler’s city.
Angela Mrositzki
Optic and vision 01-09