Last week [Thursday 18 January], Birkenstock posted its latest statement which showed that 2023 was the most successful year in the almost 250-year history of the brand based on revenues.
The footwear brand posted revenues of €1.492bn, an increase of 20%, with the growth driven by number of units sold increasing 6% and ASP increasing 14%.
An exclusive company profile in the recently published RetailX UK Growth 1000 2023 report tracked how Birkenstock connects with UK consumers.
Social media and a blog on its website – that features ‘Birkenstories’ of customers from around the world alongside stories of how its products are made, its heritage and its staff – are at the heart of Birkenstock’s customer engagement.
The brand has 1.3mn followers on Instagram and 1.7mn on Facebook, for offers, images and the latest styles. It links to these social media sites, as well as to Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube, from the home page of its UK website.
Birkenstock’s roots go back as far as 1774, though it wasn’t until 1902 that Konrad Birkenstock designed the orthopaedic footbed that it’s known for. Birkenstock is one of Germany’s best-known brands, reaching customers around the world through its transactional website, though social two of which are in London, with an outlet shop in Ellesmere Port.
Its products are sold around the world through third-party retailers and websites and it employs more than 6,200 people. The brand floated on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2023.
Shoppers visiting Birkenstock’s UK website can find products easily, either using its search for drop-down product suggestions or images, or by browsing categories including new, gifts, women, men or kids. Filters include size, width, colour and occasion. From the category page, shoppers can see colour options, a choice of images, price and choose to save an item to a wishlist.
From the product page, they can see zoomable images and find out how long delivery would take, as well as instore availability. They can also check their shoe size by entering measurements for each foot.
Shoppers are promised a £10 voucher if they sign up to the company newsletter, while some products are exclusive to registered members on the website.
This company profile was authored by Chloe Rigby. It is one of 14 case studies in the RetailX UK Growth 1000 2023 report.
Download the full report features the latest ConsumerX research into UK shopper expectations – in areas from fulfilment to subscriptions, from loyalty to sustainability and more. It illustrates how customers are constantly looking for ways to shop smarter – and even as they look for competitive prices, they also expect to buy in ways that are convenient for them.
It zooms in on – and lists the 1,000 companies that follow the RetailX UK Top500. These are businesses that are not (yet) at the size of the largest retailers and brands, but they play an important role in the UK economy and are, despite challenges, taking a highly agile and resilient approach to selling online and across channels.
