Gaggenau has launched four new “bricks and mortar” flagship stores and showrooms after a record year of sales in 2021 during the Covid-19 global pandemic.

The luxury appliance brand reported more than a 10% uplift in sales in 2021, reflecting global trends that saw high net worth individuals spending more on home improvements as opposed to leisure, travel and hospitality during global lockdowns.

The flagship stores in Shanghai and Paris – opening in autumn 2021 and January 2022 – will be the first to feature a brand-new design and concept, created in collaboration with German architecture firm 1zu33.

Other showrooms to boast the new concept design are located in Amsterdam, having launched in September, and Brussels at the end of the year.

Each of the new openings incorporate the uniqueness of their location and local context in their design and architecture, alongside Gaggenau’s history and heritage.

Furthermore, experiential kitchen and living space scenarios will present Gaggenau appliances in a brand new way.

Different materials, looks and finishes, which are representative of real-world, sophisticated living environments are supplied through collaborations with likeminded, highly respected brands, including interior wood fittings from Schotten & Hansen; modern furniture from Walter Knoll and lighting installations from Occhio.

The new flagship stores and showrooms will also include immersive private dining spaces, wine bars, and a section dedicated to the brand’s Respected by Gaggenau initiative, celebrating independent artisans and producers in the realms of culinary excellence, viniculture innovation and design. A centrepiece attraction will be “The Difference” – a holistic experience, which allows visitors to discover the ethos of Gaggenau.

The recipients of the Respected by Gaggenau 2021 accolade are given a year-long partnership with the brand, representing excellence in their industry and championing their region to the rest of the world.

The culinary recipient, Salumi Bettella (Azienda Agricola Bettella), has been awarded the accolade due to the success of their “Maiale Tranquillo” philosophy – an entirely natural, back to basics technique of rearing pigs through low-intensity farming in Northern Italy. ‘The Quiet Pig’ is selectively bred by the Bettella family, whose farming roots go back to grandfather Angelo Bettella. He founded Azienda Agricola Bettella in 1885, and since then the business has stayed within the family, passed down from generation to generation. The Bettellas went from farming on an industrial scale through the 1950s and 1960s – where they managed 150 dairy cows and a 100,000- strong poultry farm – to a complete reset and return to traditional methods and sustainable output, when grandsons took over in the 2000s.

The viniculture recipient, Elías López Montero, runs Bodegas Verum based in La Mancha, one of the largest wine producing regions in the world. His family has produced wine in the region since 1788, but in 2005 they switched from mass production to organic when they established Bodegas y Vinedos. These wines are created from the best vineyards and terroir across their property. Sustainability is at the core of the Verum philosophy. Elías grows his vines in a traditional way without irrigation, which produces low yields but high quality wines, and he uses clay amphorae to age them.

The design recipient, Apparatu, is a ceramic studio spearheaded by Xavier Manosa and his family, based close to Barcelona. They are celebrated for their irregular shapes and intricate designs and create everything from vases and vessels to lamp shades and dishes. Their tableware stood out because it bridges the gap between art and crafts, to create something unique that can be used at the kitchen table and throughout the dining space. Apparatu fuses modern technology with traditional crafts to create a product that sits somewhere in between, and is all the more unique for it.

All three recipients will work with Gaggenau throughout 2021 on bespoke projects, and will be promoted across the brand’s marketing channels to help them reach Gaggenau’s high net worth owners and followers.

Dr Peter Goetz, Managing Director of Gaggenau said, “It is a record year for Gaggenau. We are seeing growth in all our key markets and now is the time to invest in the brand and create a unique consumer experience that allows us to have a deeper connection with our audience.

“For architects and interior designers to homeowners and design enthusiasts, the new flagship stores and showrooms will provide an aesthetically inspiring experience, which showcases Gaggenau’s pursuit of culinary excellence. An exclusive sensory space of expertise that complements the consumers’ luxury lifestyle.”

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Read also: GfK forecasts total sales of household appliances to reach €307.8 billion in 2021