Großes, international tätiges Möbelhaus mit vier Buchstaben – wenn danach in Deutschland im Kreuzworträtsel gesucht wird, muss nicht mehr nur Ikea die richtige Antwort sein. Ab sofort passt auch ein zweites skandinavisches Unternehmen in diese Kategorie: Jysk.
Bislang ist das milliardenschwere Familienunternehmen aus Dänemark hierzulande unter dem Namen “Dänisches Bettenlager” tätig. Bis Ende September werden die knapp 1000 Filialen quer durch die Republik aber nach fast vier Jahrzehnten am Markt umgeflaggt und in Jysk umbenannt.
Ein neues Konzept für ein modernes Unternehmen
“We are more than just a bed warehouse, we are a furnishing company,” explains CEO Jan Bøgh in an interview with WELT. And indeed, the company based in Aarhus and with its German headquarters in Handewitt near Flensburg offers not only beds and mattresses, but also chairs, tables, wardrobes, garden furniture, and decorative items. “The name no longer fits today.”
For several years now, Jysk has been working on a transformation. The rebranding in Germany is just the final step. “In all the other 50 countries where we operate, we have already renamed ourselves or started directly under the name Jysk and have had good experiences with it,” Bøgh reports.
Ein neuer Name mit vielen Möglichkeiten
Although the term may not be easy for consumers, Bøgh believes that the advantages outweigh the difficulties. “We are aware that Jysk can be a difficult word in other languages,” says the CEO, who has been in office since 2000. “But it is not a problem if the pronunciation is not perfect. In the end, the advantages prevail.”
This is also the opinion of brand expert Colin Fernando. “The renaming offers more opportunities than risks,” says the partner of the management consultancy BrandTrust. “The renaming was even overdue considering the range of products offered.” In addition, the term “Bettenlager” (bed warehouse) now tends to evoke negative associations and sounds more like a jumble sale or a discount market than a furniture store.
“The new name must now be filled with content and stories,” advises Fernando, referring, among other things, to the topics of Nordic design or the sustainability often associated with Scandinavia. It is also positive that it is not an artificial word and thus also conveys a piece of origin and tradition.
Eine Expansion in Deutschland und im Ausland geplant
Jysk has been using the term since Lars Larsen founded the company in 1979. “Jsyk Sengetøjslager” was the original name at that time. “Jysk” means “from Jutland,” referring to the large Danish peninsula, and “Sengetøjslager” means “bed warehouse.”
When expanding into Germany 37 years ago, the first foreign market ever, the name was pragmatically translated into the national language. This was also done subsequently in Austria, Norway, and Sweden.
Gradually, the second part of the name disappeared. “Now the appearance is unified worldwide,” says CEO Bøgh. And this offers further synergies and growth potential. “We no longer have to do things twice and can scale accordingly.”
Eine Neupositionierung mit Preisen
However, the repositioning comes at a price. Jysk alone will spend around 250 million euros in Germany on the “One Jysk” project. “This includes not only the costs for the rebranding,” says country manager Christian Schirmer. “The branches will also be rebuilt.”
Store 3.0 is the corresponding modernization program for the next three years, which includes a new store design, LED lighting, and electronic price tags. The assortment will also be adjusted and renewed under the theme “Scandinavian Sleep & Living.”
Eine geplante Expansion in Deutschland und im Ausland
“We have some catching up to do because some branches are already very old,” admits Schirmer, who started as an apprentice at Dänisches Bettenlager and has spent his entire professional life in the company, which recently counted 26,500 employees worldwide and generated a turnover of around four billion euros, a quarter of which in Germany alone.
In addition to modernization, Jysk also wants to grow in its largest market, Germany. Schirmer’s goal for the coming years is 1150 stores. The company is mainly looking for locations in specialist retail centers and commercial areas with high traffic, as well as in highly frequented entry and exit roads.
But there are also plans for strong international expansion – from currently 3085 stores to a total of 5000. “We still have great potential,” says CEO Bøgh. Europe remains the number one target region, where Jysk is the third-largest furniture retailer behind Ikea and XXXLutz.
But the Scandinavians also aim to position themselves outside the continent. They have already started in Russia this year, and Turkey is next on the agenda. In addition, Jysk aspires to enter Israel. And according to Bøgh, the focus will also be on the Far East in the medium term.
Before that, however, the reaction of German customers to the renaming will be closely observed. The responsible parties are not worried. After all, it has already worked well in other countries. In any case, such renaming happens from time to time.
Prominent examples include the change of the chocolate bar name “Raider” to “Twix” in 1991. Another example is the specialty chemicals company Evonik, which emerged in 2006 from the chemical, energy, and real estate divisions of RAG, the former Ruhrkohle AG. Less well-remembered, however, is the renaming of the department store group KarstadtQuelle to Arcandor.
