The German book-retail branch is a highly concentrated business. DBH (Hugendubel, Weltbild, Wohltat etc.) and Thalia, which is part of the Douglas group, can each claim some 6 – 8 percent of the market share. These two concerns are also pursuing ambitious expansion plans. All important members of the branch have developed into multi-channel players. The branch network of Thalia, which is based in Hamburg, includes more than 200 shops, some 50 of which are in Switzerland and Austria.
In autumn 2007 Thalia opened a 1,600 m² outlet in the new Alexa Shopping Centre in Berlin, directly at Alexanderplatz. The centre is open until 10 p.m. (Monday-Saturday) and achieved an average of 50,000 visitors per day during the first three months. Employing huge atmospheric pictures and other relevant accessories, Thalia has taken as its theme “Berlin in the 1920s”. In this manner the Berlin store continues the tried-and-tested concept of core-brand architecture enlivened with location-specific details. Warm colours, lots of wood, carpeted floors, plaster ceilings with integrated lighting and Art-Deco elements lend the setting a living-room character. The ceilings on all three floors are almost 5 metres high, which provides plenty of space for well-designed presentations.
- Location: Alexa Shopping Centre, Grunerstraße 20, 10179 Berlin, Germany
- Contact: www.thalia.de
- Sales area/no. of floors: 1.600 m² / 3
- Opening: September 2007
- Branch: Books
- Planning: Umdasch Shop-Concept, Switzerland; Michael Benz (extern)
- Shopfitting: Umdasch Shop-Concept, Switzerland
- Shopfitting system: Brand-specific development
- Lighting: DL Lichtplanung
