The company has a total of 200 employees. Sales are carried out over the Internet, through trading partners and in a total of eight shops, two of which, Amsterdam and Vienna, are also located abroad. There are also the outlets in Roermond and Neumünster near Hamburg.
The focus is on
Backpacks and luggage
In Cologne they are prominently represented with a shop on the trendy Ehrenstrasse. This was now completely rebuilt within four weeks and reopened last weekend in the new corporate design. The focus is now no longer on watches, but on backpacks and luggage such as bags and suitcases. There are also glasses, jackets and jewelry.
The backpacks in particular have become a cult item among customers in more than 50 countries. According to media reports, Hollywood actress Anna Hathaway was spotted in New York at the beginning of August with a “Bali backpack” from Kapten & Son. They want to be more than just a trendy brand, but also an “experience”. Consequently, the new slogan is “Be the Experience”.
This is extremely successful; according to a report in the “Handelsblatt”, the Cologne company is expected to double its turnover in its anniversary year to 100 million euros compared to 2020. In Germany alone, more than 900,000 backpacks are currently sold, which accompany customers in everyday life as well as on trips, which are reflected in product names such as “Oslo”, “Bergen” or “Bali”.
In the new Cologne store at Ehrenstrasse 6, the “experience” also looks very practical. There is a large table in the entrance area where customers can test pack their new backpack with laptop dummies in different sizes as well as books or drinking bottles to see whether the new purchase meets their needs. “We are in close contact with our customers here in order to be able to continually align our products with their expectations,” says the employee responsible for public relations, Sarah Harder.
Customers can use a “magic” mirror to see whether the backpack looks good on their back. With this, a camera can be switched on by touching it, which records the rear view of the backpack and then reflects it in the mirror. The stylish backpacks are not exactly cheap, with prices ranging from 89 to 179 euros. They also contain many practical details such as a separate compartment in which wet clothing can be stored after exercise, for example.
Equally practical when it comes to luggage, which is also a growing segment in Kapten & Son’s offering, is the option of checking whether it can be taken on the plane as hand luggage using a standardized compartment known from airports. In the glasses and sunglasses, whose lenses are ground in a workshop in Ehrenfeld, a touchscreen makes it possible to display different lighting conditions such as sun, clouds or reflections in the snow.
Kapten & Son demonstrates its connection to its homeland with a special cooperation with the Cologne men’s choir Grüngurtrosen. This has been used to design a backpack edition limited to 111 pieces, the proceeds of which will be donated to the Hand & Herz association’s aid project for Gambia. For example, the logo of the choir, which was founded in the Belgian Quarter in 2018 and now has more than 140 members, can be seen on the backpack. The scratch-resistant and water-repellent material of the 119 euro backpack was made from recycled plastic bottles. Features include an anti-theft compartment, an elastic bottle holder and an integrated key carabiner.
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