Shop of the Week - Solekitchen Chemnitz

Although the Chemnitz store "Solekitchen" is only two years old, the owner is no newcomer to the shoe and streetwear business. Find out more about the store in the interview, which ventured a successful new start two years ago and plans to continue doing so!

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How long has Solekitchen been around and what were the reasons for opening the shop back then?
Basically, we've been around since 1995, when we started as a classic streetwear shop under the name "Underworld". If you grow up in the 80s/90s like I did, sneakers are inevitably a part of your life, or at least they were a big part of mine. The fall of the Berlin Wall suddenly opened up completely new possibilities, which we took advantage of and opened our first store in 1995. In 2011, we moved to our current location and after the subsequent separation from my former business partners and an almost complete restart, we renamed the store "Solekitchen" in 2013 and launched our new online shop at the same time.

How big is your team and what do you look for when hiring people?
Currently we are a team of 7 people plus many little helpers on the side... and we are always looking for new people. For us, it is primarily important that the "chemistry" in the team is right. Apart from that, we attach a lot of importance to expertise, although we are not fans of nerddom. Ambition and curiosity are also welcome qualities... Oh yes, you should be "good with people" if you work in retail ;-)

 

What do you think is special about your shop?
On the one hand, the store itself, and on the other hand, there's always good music and nice and good-looking people. Seriously, I think our store is a well-stocked spot for all sneaker fans, although of course we also have a small and fine selection of apparel. We take great care to present the products in a coherent environment and always ask ourselves whether we ourselves, as customers, would like to shop in our shop and feel comfortable - as long as we can answer this question with a YES, everything is good.

What is going particularly well at the moment - the most sought-after shoe of the moment?
Well, it's summer and of course everyone likes light and comfortable sneakers and somehow this question probably always gets the same answer: Nike Air Huarache or alternatively Roshe One. Otherwise, the adidas Originals Los Angeles is a good release, just like the Nike Juvenate, but Asics is also doing a very good job right now. My personal favourite is the Nike Free Hypervenom.

Which release are you looking forward to in the near future?
That's quite a difficult question now with at least 5 releases every weekend, but if I have to choose, it's the Puma x Bathing Ape collection coming in September. I'm really looking forward to that!

What makes up the bigger part of your sales - online or instore?
It's about 50/50 at the moment.

Will there be an event soon and what is planned?
We have a birthday in autumn and actually, if you count from 1995, that would be the 20th anniversary...but as "Solekitchen" it's only been 2 years...we're not quite sure yet...let us surprise you. We will celebrate something in any case.

What can you find in your store that you can't find in any other store?
First and foremost, a lot of love for sneakers and fun at work! Then of course our own products like our "SLKTN" snapback or our "Sneaker Icons" shirts, which we made together with our homie "Boogie". Apart from that, there are good beats, always smiling shop assistants and a fresh lemonade on hot days.

 

Your plans for the future?
We want natural growth, but not at any price. For 2016, we are currently working on fine-tuning the store and on a few of our own ideas for textiles. Apart from that, I would like to have a pool behind the store and rebroadcast all seasons of "Prince Of Bel Air" on TV.

Last words?
"Man who catch fly with chopstick, accomplish anything" (Master Miyagi)