While many fashion brands relentlessly pursue younger demographics, the women’s fashion chain Bonita has chosen a different path, focusing on customers aged 60 and above—and steadfastly investing in traditional brick-and-mortar retail.
When Karsten Oberheide joined Bonita in 2018, he was tasked with a clear mission: to find a buyer for the women’s fashion chain, which at the time belonged to the Tom Tailor fashion group. Oberheide described the situation as exceptionally difficult: sales had been in decline for years, financial figures were deep in the red, and Bonita was widely regarded as a “capital destroyer.” Ultimately, Oberheide engineered a solution, acquiring the brand himself with partners in 2021. Today, Bonita stands on solid ground, a stark contrast to a fashion industry frequently plagued by bankruptcies.
The manager, whose prior experience includes roles at fashion retailers such as SinnLeffers, Wöhrl, and Gerry Weber, attributes his enduring belief in the brand, even during its deep crisis, to one crucial metric: despite the difficult years, store foot traffic remained stable. The only difference was that customers were simply purchasing less during their visits. His conclusion was unequivocal: the poor performance wasn’t a failure of the target audience, but rather the result of a misguided attempt to “rejuvenate” the brand.
Beyond a rigorous financial restructuring through self-administered insolvency, Oberheide primarily aimed for a fundamental repositioning of the brand. While many other fashion labels were convinced they needed to attract younger segments at all costs, he deliberately refocused Bonita on its established customer base: women aged 60 and above, affectionately known as “Best Agers” in marketing parlance. “This is a very loyal, appreciative, and financially robust target group,” he emphasizes.
Even without chasing younger buyers, the new ownership has implemented significant changes to revitalize Bonita. “A brand must continually modernize,” Oberheide states, acknowledging that today’s customers over 60 are more contemporary than those of previous generations. Working with his design team at the company headquarters in Hamminkeln am Niederrhein, he concentrated on enhancing quality and fit. Bonita now launches 22 new main collections annually, ensuring that customers—who visit one of the roughly 450 company-owned stores an average of ten to twelve times a year—always discover fresh items to choose from.
The strong loyalty of many customers is also cultivated by Oberheide’s innovative approach to the stores, predominantly located in small and medium-sized towns. He views them not merely as sales outlets. Customers can rent the shops for private events, and Bonita itself hosts events featuring DJs or fashion shows. This community-centric strategy yields impressive results: Bonita generates 94 percent of its revenue through its brick-and-mortar retail presence.
The high store frequencies played a significant role in Bonita’s growth and profitability last year, counteracting prevailing industry trends. However, Oberheide acknowledges that the company is feeling the impact of cautious consumer sentiment in Germany, though performance is stronger in Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Despite the challenges in its home market, he plans to open new stores there. When he first arrived at Bonita, the chain boasted around 1000 outlets. While he doesn’t aim to return to that number, he currently has several new lease agreements awaiting his signature.
About Bonita
The Bonita fashion chain was founded in 1969 when Günter Biegert acquired Moha, a fabric retailer based in Bocholt. In 1986, the company was rebranded as Bonita, and in 2012, it was acquired by the Tom Tailor fashion group. Following a period of deep crisis, the management team led by Karsten Oberheide took over the company in 2020. In 2023, Bonita reported sales of approximately 130 million Euros.
