Shopfitting for success
120 years of AICHINGER: Strength from constant change
AICHINGER, one of the leading suppliers of shopfittings and counters in the fresh food sector for German-speaking countries, is celebrating its 120th anniversary. Founded in Nuremberg in 1904 and based in neighboring Wendelstein since 1962, the company has constantly faced challenges and developed continuously over the last decades. The strength gained from constant change is expressed in the claim: Shopfitting for success.
When master carpenter Johann Aichinger founded his company in Nuremberg, people still went to a colonial style grocer to buy spices or coffee for special occasions. Today, the aim is to inspire people when shopping at a bakery, butcher or supermarket, to tempt them into trying, lingering and enjoying. The mission to make shopping an experience, to give stores and markets a face, has become part of the DNA of the AICHINGER Group’s 520 employees. “The attributes of creativity, innovation and quality characterize AICHINGER stores, products and services,” says Dr. Oliver Blank, Managing Director of AICHINGER GmbH: “In addition, the willingness to face constant change, develop new skills and drive progress.”
AICHINGER has always been a company in a state of flux. In the beginning, the company mainly catered to pharmacies and grocer’s stores, but from 1925 onwards, the company began outfitting bakeries and cafés. A sector in which AICHINGER is still one of the leading suppliers almost 100 years later. After the Second World War, the son of the company founder took over the rebuilding of the business. In 1959, AICHINGER expanded its product range to include aluminum windows and facades. Three years later, the metalworking division was moved to Wendelstein, followed by the woodworking division in 1978. In 1989 and 1990 AICHINGER acquired the shopfitters Nax and Orschler.
In 1995, entrepreneur Günther Hertel took over AICHINGER GmbH and out of insolvency, consolidated and concentrated the business activities of the “general store” and integrated the shopfitter Maier+Pistor. In just 15 years, he developed the company into one of Germany’s leading suppliers of shopfitting for the out-of-house market and the fresh food trade. In a second step, strategically clever takeovers turned the shopfitter into the AICHINGER Group, a full-service provider with planning, project planning, development and production expertise – these attributes also apply to kitchen, refrigeration and lighting technology. During this time, AICHINGER attracted attention with major projects such as the Allianz Arena and Munich Airport.
On his 80th birthday, Günther Hertel moved from the Management Board to the Advisory Board and is supporting the transformation process from an owner-managed to a management-led company. “I am happy and proud to see that the organizational and management structures that have been introduced have made AICHINGER fit for the future. In our complex and rapidly changing market, it is extremely important to activate the skills of the entire team and not just rely on one strong man,” says the thoroughbred entrepreneur with satisfaction.
Over the past 20 years, AICHINGER has also established itself as a leading innovator of refrigerated counters and cabinets for food retailers and the fresh food trade (bakers, butchers) “Made in Germany”. As a multi-specialist, the AICHINGER Group combines the expertise in the areas of shopfitting/refrigerated cabinets, lighting design and concepts from we-shoplight for the sales area, and stainless-steel furniture from birkenstahl for preparation areas and professional kitchens. This enables us to develop and offer furnishing solutions for the fresh food trade and food retail sector from a single source.
Dr. Blank emphasizes: “AICHINGER is more individual than large-scale manufacturers of refrigerated cabinets can ever be and brings in product expertise in refrigeration technology that shopfitters cannot offer. As a result, AICHINGER can create and realize “sales machines”. These stand out with their highly attractive creative shop design and a product presentation that stimulates purchases. At the same time, high efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness are particularly convincing in everyday store sales.”
Creative and experienced specialists create emotional fresh food experiences at the headquarters and in nine Competence Centers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: from Iceland to the United Arab Emirates, from XXL supermarkets to autonomous 24/7 smart stores, the shopfittings, service counters and refrigeration units are individually manufactured according to customer requirements on approximately 30,000 square meters of production space and installed on schedule. The company relies on sustainable and easily recyclable materials such as wood, glass, steel and natural stone. In keeping with the principle of short distances, these are primarily sourced from suppliers in the region, Germany and Austria.
But AICHINGER also focuses on energy efficiency and sustainability for its refrigerated counters. The AICHINGER Measurement Area (AiMA) was set up in 2010. The measurement room has been state of the art since its opening. Countless sensors measure energy consumption, air currents and the temperature stability of the refrigerated cabinets and heating appliances. Its strive for technical innovation and market-leading quality is demonstrated by the company’s exceptional transparency: AICHINGER is the first and only manufacturer of refrigerated cabinets to display the energy consumption and operating status of a refrigerated counter installed in a supermarket live and online since 2013.