Inside Story from Dancing Queens - with co-founder Sophie Köster
Where are our dance shoes made and how do we ensure that they not only look good, but also perform? This is exactly our promise from Dancing Queens. But how is this possible and what is behind it? We have worked with Sophie Köster, Co-Founder from Dancing Queens, talked about logistics chaos, international supply chains and challenges.
Spoiler: It will be honest, personal - and very exciting.
The best way to explain this is to use the example of the Fuego dance shoes: We order our dance shoes through a retailer who Production sites in Asia booked. These places are not always available immediately. For example, you have to wait 30 days to get a space and only then can you start production. Production then takes another 60 days and then you suddenly get the message: all the goods can now be picked up. But that's exactly where the Madness.
Conflicts like the one in the Middle East influence Transportation routes enormous. Rail transportation is currently not an option, ships take over 100 days - and that is not only slow, but also expensive. So often the only option is air transportation, which Expensive and not so sustainable as we would like it to be. Large volumes have to be split up, routes adjusted and customs documents submitted on time. Unfortunately, new problems can arise at any time. With the Fuegos, for example, we had to repack everything because the cardboard packaging was wet - we lost a whole day as a result. Subsequently, documents for the customs declaration in China were missing, which meant a further two days delay and everything was pushed back even further.
What sounds simple is in reality a new problem to be solved every day. Puzzle with countless last-minute changes.
We order directly from the factory in China - with bulk quantities of over 3,000 pairs. This means that we can deliver regardless of availability in Europe and have a constant supply via container imports.
Our dance shoes and clothing come from very different countries: China, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Turkey. Whenever possible, we use road or rail transportation for the sustainable production of our dance shoes. In a few cases, however, only the air route remains.
After all, we store our dance shoes and dresses in our central warehouse in Germany. This is a deliberate choice. We can ship worldwide faster from the EU than from Switzerland. However, we allow returns to Switzerland as well as to Germany. The rest of the world can send returns to Germany without any problems and the Swiss can return to Switzerland, which is much easier and cheaper for them, which is why it is important for us to provide two returns locations.
Our SMOVE Dance Sneaker in leather are made by hand in a manufactory in Portugal.
The flat Dancing Queen shoes and Heels dance shoes are made by hand with great attention to detail - in Italy or Turkey, depending on the model.
Our customer favorites - the SMOVE Dance Sneaker - we produce in great cooperation with the German company Rumpf.
Our high quality dancewear, such as the popular Sports topscomes directly from a great partner in Turkey.
We source the Fuego Dance sneakers made from vegan leather directly from the factory in China.
Honestly? With a gut feeling. We are very deeply involved in the dance community, recognize trends early on and take our customers' feedback seriously. We work closely with production companies from Europe, for example in Italy or Portugal, to develop new things. We often do a small test quantity and then extrapolate based on our customers' behavior.
A big win is definitely our new SMOVE dance sneakers for men and women in the colors beige and grey. Another immense advantage is that all SMOVE Dance Sneaker have our own brand new insole and that the insole, which is a massage insole, can also be ordered separately from us.
Another highlight is our new, flat dance shoe Joy, which we were able to offer immediately with both indoor and outdoor soles. The model was very well received by you.
What always frustrates me a little are the made-to-order products that are not delivered on time. These are products that are ordered by our customers and we then have them freshly manufactured by the producer. If we can't meet the delivery deadline because the producer doesn't deliver the dance shoes, it's a real blow.
It's also frustrating when the quantity planning doesn't work out - like with the presale of our new flat dance shoe. It went through the roof so quickly - which was mega great - but we weren't able to produce more as quickly as we would have liked.
The biggest challenge for me is the conversion of our systems. We want to simplify the ordering process at our suppliers so that we can optimize the right Quantity at the right time. This is not yet working the way we want it to and presents me with major challenges. However, we are working hard on it and hope that we will soon be able to solve the problem.
Sometimes better, sometimes worse. I try to reprioritize every day and work according to the 80/20 principle. Clear times for family and work help, but as a managing director you are always available somehow. It remains a big challenge - but also an enjoyable one.
The conversation with Sophie shows impressively how much passion, planning, improvisation - and sometimes nerves - are behind every pair of dance shoes from Dancing Queens is what it's all about. It's not just about fashion or function, but about a community that grows together, about passion and about finding the ideal dance shoes for all dancers - no matter how turbulent the supply chain is.
Thank you, Sophie, for your honest insight and for answering the question: "Where are our dance shoes actually made?"
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