It's hard to imagine, but true: a small company with roots dating back to 1869 is still at the cutting edge today. Schattschneider Sanitätshaus in Hamburg is not only the oldest medical supply store in the Hanseatic city in northern Germany, but also a prime example of how tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.
Since 2011, Peter Baron von le Fort and two of his daughters have been running the company - with modernized sales rooms in a prime downtown location and values that have endured for generations: appreciation, enthusiasm, and genuine interest in people.
Amélie Bosse, managing director and passionate medical supply store saleswoman, recently made an unusual decision: she added our stuul® toilet stool to the product range. Among compression stockings, bandages, and orthopedic insoles, there is now a product that combines pragmatic furniture design and intestinal health.
Reason enough for our founder Daniel to meet with Amélie for an interview to find out why a traditional medical supply store is focusing on a modern designer toilet stool - and how her customers are responding.
A conversation about the transformation from medical supply store to health care specialist, good advice in the age of online retail - and why prevention is the future.
Daniel:
Amélie, the Schattschneider medical supply store has been around since 1869 - longer than toilets as we know them today! You are leading this traditional company into the future together with your sister and your father. What personally motivated you to add a toilet stool to your product range - a product that many people don't necessarily think of as a classic medical supply store product?
Amélie:
There were several reasons that ultimately prompted me to contact you. A few years ago, I read the bestselling book “Darm mit Charme” (“Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Under-Rated Organ“), and time and again, individual customers specifically asked about your stuul.
The topics of pelvic floor and incontinence are also present in our business – even if they are still far too rarely discussed openly. Since your stools also have a really beautiful design, are lightweight, modern, and very appealing in color, I wanted to try out the concept for myself.
Daniel:
We were of course very pleased about that and we hope that our toilet stool will now become a permanent fixture in your range.
You mention that topics such as pelvic floor and incontinence are still too rarely discussed openly. How do you experience this in your everyday consulting work? Do customers approach you with these topics on their own initiative, or do they often need a gentle nudge? With its lighthearted and colorful appearance, could the stuul perhaps even serve as a kind of “conversation starter” here?
Amélie:
These topics are rarely addressed directly. When they are, it's mainly about pelvic floor exercises and fitness products that can be used in these cases. The whole thing is simply very taboo, which is of course understandable. There is indeed a lack of suitable conversation starters to address these sensitive topics with a subtle remark. We already have a lot of experience in this area, of course, but your stuul offers us a great additional bridge to overcome these taboos in conversation. We therefore deliberately place your colorful stools in our shop window and are always very happy when customers see them, come in, and ask us questions about them.
Daniel:
I love the idea of the shop window! What kind of reactions do you get from passers - by or customers who see the stuul for the first time? Are there any funny or surprising moments?
Amélie:
So far, we've had more direct purchases due to the appealing design. However, these customers were familiar with the topic and knew what to do with it. Our customers haven't been really curious so far. We'll wait and see - maybe we'll add a screen and some images to make the shop window more dynamic, and then more customers will ask about it.
Daniel:
The stuul toilet stool isn't a classic medical aid, but rather a preventive lifestyle product with added health benefits. How does that fit in with the philosophy of your medical supply store?
Amélie:
I am always trying to add new products to our range. My experience over the last few years has shown very clearly that the term “medical supply store” still has rather negative and outdated connotations. People who have never had any contact with a medical supply store often associate it with illness, old age, and frailty.
However, this perception falls short. A medical supply store - or rather, a health care store - encompasses much more than the traditional provision of medical aids. Basically, anything that promotes health and, in particular, prevention can be integrated. In my opinion, this potential has not been fully exploited so far.
Traditionally, medical supply stores are primarily perceived as providers of medical aids such as rehabilitation equipment, incontinence products, or orthopedic supplies, and are classified as contractually bound service providers for health insurance companies. However, our location offers ideal conditions for raising awareness among passersby about preventive health issues.
These include Pilates, yoga, and fitness products, solutions for healthy sleeping and sitting, heat therapy, and other offerings that promote exercise and well-being in everyday life. Some time ago, for example, we presented the “Laufmaus” in our shop window - a product that, like the stuul toilet stool, requires explanation if you are not yet familiar with it, but at the same time attracts attention and arouses curiosity.
In my opinion, products like these are particularly suitable: they are eye-catching, invite questions, and open the door to a more modern understanding of health. The stuul fits in very well, not only in terms of content but also in terms of design - simply because of its color scheme, which deliberately breaks with the classic image of a medical supply store.
Daniel:
It's really remarkable how you are rethinking the classic concept of the medical supply store. From the Laufmaus to our stuul - these are all products that focus on prevention rather than convalescence. Do you generally see a shift towards more prevention and well-being in your industry? What other trends are you seeing in the medical supply trade in general?
Amélie:
I would say that our customers are generally more willing to invest in their health. This is also clearly reflected in our prescription supply. With us, they always have the option of choosing a higher-quality product instead of relying exclusively on the classic basic care that is fully covered by health insurance.
A clear trend is therefore evident in both over-the-counter sales and prescription supplies. At the same time, I think direct comparisons are difficult: we are smaller than other medical supply stores, work exclusively locally without a sales force, and place much more emphasis on consulting and active sales than on pure service provision.
Daniel:
You say that you deliberately work locally and without a sales force. In times of online shopping and large medical supply chains, what makes the difference for you when someone comes to your store in the Colonnaden instead of ordering online? Why is it worth going to a brick-and-mortar store?
Amélie:
We provide advice! We offer detailed, high-quality, professional advice in person. This is because we can identify our customers' needs much better and more accurately in a face-to-face conversation.
For example: you have classic tennis elbow. There are many ways to treat this - a doctor's prescription is often the first step. But which product will support you best? A brace, a compression or tension bandage, a training device, or perhaps a fascia roller?
Many products are highly touted on the internet, all promising the same results. Thanks to our many years of experience, we have selected and compiled a range of products that we are confident in.
Our disadvantage is that our marketing mainly works through word of mouth from our customers—but it works! Therefore, our top priority every day is to be irreplaceable and to optimize our advice on a daily basis.
Daniel:
Amélie, to conclude, a very personal question: If you had to explain to a customer who has never heard of a toilet stool why they should give it a try, what would you say?
Amélie:
Haha, that's good. I think I could say authentically and convincingly: Everyone should just give it a try, because it really makes a difference - and for the better!
Daniel:
Amélie, thank you very much for these insights and your time! I'm excited to see how our collaboration will develop, and of course I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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Amélie Bosse | Schattschneider Sanitätshaus GmbH
