New shop concept: Karstadt opens second K TOWN store in Cologne

Cologne (ots) - Following the success of the K Town pilot project
in Göttingen, Karstadt opened a second K Town store in Cologne on 14
September. This new shop concept forms a key part of the "Karstadt
2015" strategy. K Town will contribute further to the modernisation
and differentiation of Karstadt.

"With our trendy, lifestyle-oriented K Town concept, we are
targeting totally new, modern customers with a very young lifestyle.
The K Town pilot in Göttingen has received great feedback from
customers and suppliers and now, after a year full of exciting
experiences, it is ready for the market. Therefore, it is now time to
roll out our pilot project and start the expansion of K Town", says
André Maeder, Chief Retail Officer at Karstadt.

The K Town concept combines attractive, trendy brands in fashion,
shoes and accessories with a trendy and modern atmosphere. Unlike in
Göttingen, the Cologne K Town is not a separate store but with 2,000
square metres integrated into the ground floor of the Cologne
Karstadt department store. "Karstadt has great potential in the field
of modern, young and trendy fashion and we will exploit this at many
different levels - with new stores and changes to existing stores",
says André Maeder. "It is incredible what you can make out of a
department store."

The design of the Cologne K TOWN is reminiscent of a modern art
gallery, with screens, lighting installations beneath an open, more
than 5-metre-high ceiling and display stands that seem like works of
art all creating a unique atmosphere. At the heart of the store is
the lounge area where customers can relax with stylish drinks and
snacks. Touch pads integrated into the tables offer customers
multimedia entertainment during their shopping break.

"Our K Town pilot project in Göttingen has clearly shown that
customers come to us not just to buy a product but also to enjoy the
shopping experience. Fulfilling this wish is our top priority and we
are taking an important step with K Town", says André Maeder.

The women's fashion brands at the Cologne K TOWN include Desigual,
Mavi, One Green Elephant and the hip Scandinavian label Gestuz. For
men there are brands such as G-Star, Blend, Scotch & Soda and
Superdry. The area of shoes displays the latest trends from Lacoste,
Camper, UGG and other top brands, and finally, customers can find the
perfect accessory for their new outfit from Pieces, Liebeskind or
George, Gina & Lucy.

The first K TOWN store was opened as a pilot project in Göttingen
in September 2011. It was already selected as "Store of the Month" in
December 2011 by trade magazine TM and has also been nominated for
Retail Week's "International Department Store of the Year Award".

Contact:

Karstadt Corporate Communication
presse@karstadt.de
+49 (0)201/727-2030