"The decisive factor is whether a product is convincing in everyday life."

Kess Berlin stands for products that are intuitive, uncomplicated and time-saving. This meets the needs of today's customers, says Marketing Director Felix Eckert. A conversation about relevance, reliability and trust as the key to strong brands.

My colleague Nicoletta Schaper headlines our current issue: Substance over Status! She is describing a trend that we are generally observing in the market: Luxury is becoming more personal, classic status thinking is giving way to the search for substance. Against this backdrop, the topics of beauty, wellbeing and longevity are becoming increasingly relevant. How do you perceive this development at Kess?

Felix Eckert, Marketing Director Kess Berlin: Status hasn't disappeared, but it has taken on a new form. Customers today are looking for products that can do more than just look good. Visibility alone is not enough. The decisive factor is whether a product is convincing in everyday use. The fact that this attitude is gaining acceptance confirms the path that we at Kess have been following from the very beginning. And we don't just observe this development, we live it. From the very beginning, our aim has been to put substance before superficiality: intuitive use, smart multifunctionality, strong performance - packaged in a clear design. Our products are made to work. Fast, uncomplicated and reliable. Our community demands exactly that. They don't want beauty over-staging, but products they can rely on. We prefer to deliver results rather than promises. And that goes down well.

More and more fashion stores are expanding their product ranges in line with the modern concept store concept. Your products strike a chord here: intuitive, time-saving, with an immediate effect. What role does wholesale, including a brick-and-mortar presence, play for you?

Cosmetics are an experience product. You want to feel whether something works. That is why it has always been clear to us that a stationary presence is not a nice-to-have, but is relevant in the medium term - precisely because we invest so much in product development. Our Essentials deliver what they promise. And you notice that immediately when you try them out. In Germany, we have learned to test cosmetics before we buy them. This direct experience creates trust - and that's exactly what strong brands need. A digital ad can generate attention. But nothing can replace the real product in your hand, especially in a digital world that will be flooded with AI in the future. Concept stores are the perfect environment for us. That's where you meet entrepreneurs who don't think in categories and curate with real passion. They are fully committed to what they sell - you can see that in the product range and in the advice. It is precisely this closeness to the product, this attitude, that suits us.