Introduction to Berlin

Berlin is a combination of vibrant culture, modern architecture, history, food and an exuberant nightlife. One of Europe’s start-up capitals and home to new international brands such as Olafur Eliasson and Jonathon Meese, it has become a hub for cultural experimentation, and Berliners are famous for their creative and free lifestyle.

Demographics

Berlin has a population of around 3.58 million people (2016). The German capital has a history of in-migration. The largest foreign-born population in the city comes from Turkey: according to World Population Review, it’s the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey. Other foreign-born residents include people from Bulgaria, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Serbia, the UK, the US and Vietnam.

Top Five Shopping Streets:

1. Kurfürstendamm: The locals refer to this avenue as Ku’damm for short. It houses everything from chain clothing stores (H&M, Mango) to haute couture. The street offers a plethora of designer brands: Chanel, Prada, Burberry, Escada and Louis Vuitton all have flagships on Ku’damm.
2. Tauentzienstrasse: This street is home to KaDeWe, Europe’s largest department store. Other retailers here include Max Mara, Miu Miu, Swarovski, Montblanc and Puma.
3. Potsdamer Platz: Rebuilt in the 1990s after the Berlin Wall was demolished, this historic public square now hosts cultural and shopping hubs such as the Potsdamer Arkaden mall. Stores include Tommy Hilfiger, Zara and electronics retailer WMF.
4. Friedrichstrasse: Located in East Berlin, this shopping street is in the middle of the city’s restaurant and entertainment district. Retailers include Furla, Saint Laurent, Donna Karan, Armani and Jaeger-LeCoultre.
5. Alte/Neue Schönhauser Strasse: This is the place for shoppers to find independent labels and small boutiques as well as stores such as Acne, Fillipa K and Marimekko. These contiguous streets are located in East Berlin’s Mitte district.

Famous Retail Events

Berlin Fashion Week takes place twice a year, bringing together fashion lovers, buyers, media representatives and trade visitors. It attracts 200,000 visitors to more than 70 fashion shows and more than 200 different events each winter and summer (January and July in 2019).

Top Innovative Retailers

Bikini Berlin [caption id="attachment_92318" align="alignright" width="386"] Source: Coresight Research[/caption] Bikini Berlin is a complex that includes shopping mall Bikinihaus, the Zoo Palast cinema, a large high-rise building (Grobe Hochhaus), a small high-rise that houses the 25hours Hotel and a parking garage. Bikini Berlin features stores such as American Vintage, Bene, Candide, Edeka, children’s retailer Goldfish-Kinderkaufhaus and Studio183, which describes itself as “a collaborative store concept that integrates high-quality design, fashion, technology and art.” Location: Bikini Berlin, Budapester Strasse 38-50, Berlin. Olbrish [caption id="attachment_92319" align="alignright" width="366"] Source: Coresight Research[/caption] This leather goods brand has been manufacturing and selling exquisite handbags, briefcases, wallets and other handmade items in Berlin since 1971. A winner of several international design awards, Olbrish still crafts all its products by hand, with each worker responsible for producing a bag from start to finish. Besides elegant and modern designs in its retail shop in Ku’damm, the company takes custom orders for handbags and briefcases. Customers can choose from a variety of colors and design elements in Napa leather, Nubuck, or horsehair fabric. Location: Olbrish, Kurfürstendamm 210, 10719 Berlin. Roeckl [caption id="attachment_92321" align="alignright" width="358"] Source: Coresight Research [/caption] Roeckl was started as a family business 180 years ago, in 1839. Founded in Munich by Jakob Roeckl, it started as a workshop and store for handmade gloves and silk scarves. Now the company is run by Anette Roeckl, the first woman to run the family business and the sixth generation to do so. She is continuing to grow the brand, expanding into luxury accessories. The gloves Roeckl is known for are made from 24 individual parts and require more than 2,000 hand stiches per pair — ultimate luxury. Location:  Roeckl, Kurfürstendamm 216, 10719 Berlin. Voo Store [caption id="attachment_92322" align="alignright" width="377"] Source: vooberlin.com[/caption] Voo Store is located in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, the destination for counterculture and art. Located in the ground floor of a former locksmith, the store includes rotating art installations and exhibitions, as well as a book selection that customers can browse. The space covers 300 square meters (about 3,229 square feet). Voo sees itself as the future of luxury retail. Companion Coffee offers a variety of specialty coffee and tea from its micro farms, along with freshly baked goods. The store houses a variety of merchandise, from innovative apparel to books and magazines. It carries brands such as ACNE Studios, Raf Simons and J.W. Anderson, among others. On first entering, the store feels more like a gallery than a shop. Location: Voo Store, 24 Oranienstrasse, Bezirk Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, 10999 Berlin. Bless [caption id="attachment_92323" align="alignright" width="388"] Source: stillinberlin.de[/caption] Bless is an imaginative concept store located in a three-story apartment in Prenzlauer Berg, an area that was once in the Soviet sector and is now filled with restored pre-war apartment buildings and indie boutiques. The store is filled with knick-knacks, linens, artwork and home décor, styled to look like an actual apartment. Indeed, photographer Bert Houbrechts lives in the space. The shop also boasts an in-store hair stylist from Japan who cuts hair on Saturdays. Bless does not display collections in the traditional sense, as the apartment is filled with goods from past and current seasons. A couple of pieces such as the scarves, printed T-shirts and knitted sweaters were on exhibition at Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris and Centre Pompidou before being hung in the apartment. Location: Bless, Oderberger Strasse 60, Berlin. The Store X [caption id="attachment_92324" align="alignright" width="445"] Source: thestores.com[/caption] The Store X is located in private members-only club Soho House but is open to the public. Designed to resemble a trendy home, it spreads across 2,800 square meters (more than 30,000 square feet) and combines home goods, fashion, art installations, a co-working space and photography exhibitions. The apparel section of the store has brands such as the Row, Issey Miyake, Proenza Schouler and more. Everything is for sale, from the sofas where shoppers can enjoy coffee to the burning candles on the dining tables — with food from Cecconi’s and the Store Kitchen. Location:  The Store X, Torstrasse 1, Soho House Berlin, 10119 Berlin. Mall of Berlin [caption id="attachment_92325" align="alignright" width="230"] Source: mallofberlin.de[/caption] The Mall of Berlin houses more than 300 stores, eateries, leisure facilities and even a huge slide. The stores include international chains such as Tommy Hilfiger, Karl Lagerfeld, Hollister, Massimo Dutti and Armani Exchange. A food court on the second floor of the west wing offers a plethora of restaurants and snack bars. Every evening at 6:00, the mall hosts free open dance workshops for salsa, tango and other styles. The “XXL Slide,” the largest indoor slide in a German shopping mall, starts on the second floor and leads to a ball pit on the ground level. Location: Mall of Berlin, Leipziger Platz 12, 10117 Berlin.   Hallesches Haus [caption id="attachment_92326" align="alignright" width="332"] Source: hallescheshaus.com[/caption] Hallesches Haus, in a former techno nightclub, is the place to find trendy treasures and creative inspiration. The store sells quirky home décor items including lamps, watering cans and canvas prints. A hybrid of a store and café, Hallesches Haus has added a lunch space and a garden. The retailer calls itself a general store, reflecting the wide range of the goods it sells, which also spans grocery products such as Mast chocolate, Minerva’s canned sardines, Nordur’s salt, Mengazzoli’s vinegars, pumpkin seed oil, San Marzano tomatoes and local hot sauces — all of which are used in the café and lunchroom. The space is also an event venue: It has hosted the opening weekend of Berlin Food Art Week. Location: Hallesches Haus, Tempelhofer Ufer 1, 10961 Berlin. Pick n Weight — Vintage Kilo Store [caption id="attachment_92327" align="alignright" width="326"] Source: picknweight.de[/caption] Second-hand retailer Pick n Weight has stores all over Germany. It sells vintage and used clothing, accessories, and the like the way supermarkets sell produce: by weight. Part of the Kleidermarket family, Pick n Weight has been around since 1989. Customers can purchase products by the kilogram or individually. The store is organized by patterns and styles, making it easy for customers to find what they want. And there’s a rustic seating area where shoppers can make a cup of coffee. Location: Pick n Weight, Münzstrasse 19, 10178 Berlin. KaDeWe [caption id="attachment_92328" align="alignright" width="391"] Source: Coresight Research[/caption] Kaufhaus des Westens, usually known as KaDeWe, is Berlin’s largest and most famous department store, with 60,000 square meters (nearly 646,000 square feet) of retail space on nine floors. It attracts as many as 50,000 people every day. The basement contains a “Creative Market” for art supplies and fabrics. The ground floor houses the high-end designers, such as Gucci, Cartier, Gianni, Longchamp, Armani and Chanel.  The upper floors house a variety of gourmet food stands topped by the Wintergarten restaurant. Location: Kaufhaus des Westens, Tauentzienstrasse 21–24, 10789 Berlin. Must-See Street:  Mulackstrasse Fashionistas flock to little Mulackstrasse, three blocks that run off Alte Schönhauser Strasse (see “Top Five Shopping Streets” above) in the heart of Berlin’s Mitte neighborhood. This little street doesn’t look impressive, but it’s packed with fascinating boutiques, concept stores and places to stop for a bite or a glass of wine for a break from shopping.

1. Baerck: A cool concept store that mixes established and emerging brands, international and local, in men’s and women’s apparel and accessories as well as furniture and décor.
2. R.S.V.P.: This beautiful stationery store is the perfect spot for elegant and useful gifts to bring home from a visit to Berlin.
3. 3. Starstyling: Funky, colorful street styles for men and women set this shop apart.
4. World’s End: British fashion legend Vivienne Westwood owns this concept store, and her maximalist aesthetic reigns over the clothing, artwork, furniture and accessories sold here.
5. Das Neue Schwartz: This little boutique sells high-end, never-worn vintage and second-season designer fashion from names such as Céline, Chloé, Dries van Noten and Raf Simons.