A few years ago, Yvonne van der Putten (37) started her own clothing line. Under the name Studio YV, she produced minimalist and Scandinavian clothing and sold it to stores in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Nijmegen. She was able to perfectly combine her creativity and commercial knowledge, but due to the uncertain market, she ultimately chose to stop. She applied at TICA; the perfect place where she could apply her knowledge and experience as an interior and fashion enthusiast.
Three years ago, I started at the Concept Store as Assistant Manager/Visual Merchandiser. With my years of experience as Regional Visual Merchandiser (America Today, IKEA, and Massimo Dutti) and Manager, this was an excellent combination. Exciting news; since August, I’ve been Store Manager!
The diversity! My days are so varied. One moment I’m designing the styling of a display, then I’m in conversation with a new exhibitor, and the next moment I’m analyzing KPIs/styling results. I also have a great and diverse team. Together we ensure that the Concept Store looks impeccable and that TICA members leave the store with a good feeling (and full shopping carts).
The TICA parties! They’re always talked about long afterward and have a positive effect on the team and collaboration. The events we organize for TICA members and exhibitors also provide real added value; lots of activity and the feedback afterward is always positive.
Much has changed over the past three years. Think about the look & feel of the store, the new stands, and various squares such as the beauty square.
The Concept Store is truly a testing ground for upcoming brands and new exhibitors. Having a creative background, I know what it’s like to have to establish your brand. In my current position, I thought it would be a great idea to offer creative talent a platform. This became the ‘TICA-Talent’ campaign. Every six months, we offer a start-up a platform in the Concept Store to showcase their brand to the wider public. With successful sales results, they can then obtain a permanent stand with us. This immediately provides a diverse and surprising range of the newest starting entrepreneurs on the floor.
While we’re still wearing t-shirts, the Christmas trees are indeed already being decorated. TICA members who have been shopping with us for a long time will certainly recognize this. Especially the German market shops for Christmas items early, and TICA naturally likes to cater to this. Some Dutch retailers need to get used to the idea – especially when the sun is shining – but the cozy atmosphere soon wins them over and they start purchasing festive items early.
We see that sales of festive accessories, jewelry, and clothing always increase during this period. There’s naturally high demand from the consumer market. Additionally, ‘must-haves’ like washing and perfume items, tiles with sayings, bath products, and Christmas socks are always successful leading up to the holidays. To inspire TICA Members, we transform our styling points into inspirational eye-catchers weekly.
For makeup enthusiasts, I can recommend Charly Baron and Boozyshop. For those looking for authentic accessories, the ‘one of a kind’ ties from The OOAK are very nice, and dog lovers should check out The Dog Musthaves. At Morgan Moon, TICA members can find delightful men’s and women’s perfumes made from beeswax, and our new TICA-Talent MUSA, with sustainable intimate wear, is also a lovely gift for Christmas. In short; do come visit!
TICA is a dynamic company. You can see this on the shop floor, in the constant change of offerings, and even in the pace at which we launch newest locations in the market. I hope to remain part of this dynamic environment for a long time to come.
