14 oz. store in Berlin named Store of the Year 2009 by the German Retail Organization (HDE).
All Photos by 14 oz.
In one year, 14 oz. store in Berlin went from having a core denim portfolio, to being recognized for all of its other assets including highly trained staff, neo-renaissance style building with 4 different rooms for private customer experiences and shopping, and a brand portfolio that resembled high-quality selections across segments ranging from menswear and womenswear, boots, leather shoes, sneakers, and accessories. Against tough competition, including the Marc O’ Polo store in Dusseldorf, and the Ludwig Gortz GmgH in Frankfurt, among others, 14oz. in Berlin was named Store of the Year for 2009 by the German Retail Organization (HDE).
This month, the store continues to expand the experience of its retail space and therefore brand portfolio with a beautiful magazine–simple in design, yet classic with a heritage-red cover design, and bold 4-color pictures and brand stories of the various lines that 14 oz. carries, including Nudie Jeans, PRPS, Converse, Red Wing Shoes, Woolrich, Levi’s Red Tab, Citizens of Humanity, G-star Raw, Alden, Gilded Age, and Parajumpers.
Some may compare this store to Atrium in New York City, founded by Sam Ben-Avraham who started Project Fashion Trade Show (a show that is often thought of as the Bread & Butter of the USA), but of course that’s the American perspective. What’s interesting is that Karl-Heinz Muller has taken pieces of his very successful fashion trade show, Bread & Butter Berlin, and brought to life a retail concept that encompasses many aspects that make the fashion trade show so unique, including attention to the brand portfolio with corresponding themes of long-term authenticity, style, and quality, plus attention to architecture and design in terms of customers’ lifestyles and experiences. With 14 oz. Magazine, this satisfies savvy consumer’s interest in a brand’s story, which has become a far more critical factor in shopping decisions than ever before.
At a time when everything is moving virtual, it’s comforting when a retail concept goes tactile, like touching a pair of quality denim jeans. 14 oz. as a store, space, place of discovery, and now magazine, is bringing back a “new” experience for a new generation that doesn’t always consider shopping for the sole purpose of buying, but rather as an experience that is a part of their lifestyle.
14oz. Magazine is written in both English and German: www.14oz-Berlin.com. 
Introduction to 14 oz. Magazine
PRPS spread in 14 oz. Magazine
