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The Deichmann footwear brand was founded in Essen (Germany) in 1913 and is still a family business today. Specialising in the retail market, it has around 4,700 shops in over 30 countries and offers a wide range of footwear and accessories. Its value proposition is high quality combined with competitive prices.

 

This year Deichmann is celebrating 15 years of presence in Spain: 15 years in which it has carved out a niche in the market and where it now has a presence in the main cities and shopping centres, with a total of 86 shops and plans to exceed 100, according to its strategy of expansion and innovation.

 

 

What has motivated Deichmann's strong commitment to Spain in recent years?

Spain is one of the strategic markets for Deichmann due to its dynamism, its weight in the European retail industry and Spanish consumers’ high level of affinity with our value proposition: fashion footwear at a good price, and without sacrificing quality. In recent years, we have seen very positive development in both sales and brand awareness, something which has encouraged us to further strengthen our presence by opening new shops and continuously improving the in-store and online experience.

 

What is Spain’s role in the company strategy?

Together with Italy, Spain is one of the key countries in Southern Europe in Deichmann's international growth plan. This is due to  its potential as both a market and also as a strategic hub for understanding consumer trends in southern Europe. We do in addition support our operations in Portugal from Spain, something which reinforces our commitment to the Iberian Peninsula as a priority region.

 

You are both opening and reopening shops. What is your expansion strategy?

Our strategy combines three strands: expansion into new locations, renovation and innovation of shops to adapt them to the new Deichmann design standards, and consolidation in cities where we already have a significant presence, thereby expanding it. We seek to be close to the consumer, both in large cities and in smaller towns, and always in the shopping centres with the highest foot traffic.

 

How many people work for the company in Spain?

The number of employees per shop varies according to the size and operational needs of each point of sale, as we customise teams to ensure efficient management and optimal customer service. We currently employ over 900 professionals in Spain, including staff at shops, head offices and logistics centres. Our human team is a key pillar in our way of understanding retail, and fundamental for offering a close, agile and quality experience to our customers.

 

What presence do Spanish brands have in your offering?

We deeply value the quality, design and traditional craftsmanship of Spanish footwear, which is why it has a prominent place in our offering. Our priority is to offer a wide and diverse selection of products that combines our own brands with local and international brands, always taking into account style, quality and price criteria. Our Spanish brands include XTI, a company with its headquarters and factory in Murcia and with a great international reach, and which will also play a leading role in our proposal for the next autumn-winter 2025-2026 season. It is a brand that excellently embodies the values we are looking for: modern design, quality and commitment to local industry.

 

How are your products perceived by Spanish consumers?

Spanish consumers particularly appreciate the value for money offered by our products, as well as the wide variety of styles available for the whole family. We have also seen good acceptance of our own brands, such as Graceland, and a growing interest in our capsule collections and fashion collaborations with sports brands. Deichmann has collaborated with fashion icons like sisters Kendal and Kylie Jenner, and singers Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora and Nia (from the Canary Islands), to name but a few. Consumers’ perceptions have been very positive and our loyalty rate continues to increase each season and attract new customers.

 

What other activities do you carry out in Spain?

Our Spanish headquarters are in Barcelona, from where we manage all our operations for Spain and Portugal. In Spain, Deichmann has reaffirmed its support for the fight against cancer by signing a nationwide agreement with the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC). Ever since its inception, this collaboration has included participation in some emblematic actions, such as the race to combat cancer in Madrid and Barcelona. These are events that combine sport, solidarity and awareness, with the aim of raising funds for cancer research, prevention programmes and patient care. We are a company that serves people: customers, employees, partners and people in need. Profits are therefore important to enable sustainable growth of the company and to generate employment, and a part of these profits has at the same time been earmarked to help social causes.

 

You have over 40 online shops. How do you approach the online market?

Our omnichannel strategy is fundamental for the company. Each online shop is adapted to the particularities of its market, and they all share the same philosophy: to offer an agile, intuitive and reliable shopping experience. In the case of Spain, the online shop is growing at a very good pace and forms part of our strategy, as it allows us to reach consumers in areas where we do not yet have a physical shop presence.

 

What have been your most important investments in Spain?

In recent years, we have invested steadily in opening new shops, renovating existing shops, customer services and innovation, and our online sales channel. We have also allocated significant resources to digitalising internal processes, team training and logistics optimisation. All of this has a clear objective: to get closer to the customer and to swiftly respond to an increasingly demanding environment. We are very satisfied with the results obtained in 2024, which we closed with a global turnover of 125.4 million euros, with 86 points of sale in Spain and a solid expansion plan that aims to exceed 100 shops. This growth reaffirms both our strategy and commercial approach and the excellent work carried out by the entire team in Spain. This is an expansion and innovation plan that  not only reflects our confidence in the potential of the Spanish market, but also our firm long-term commitment to local customers.

 

^{Photos: Deichmann}