“The Secret of Hema” – Documentary on the Dutch discounter that became a world player, 2012

This documentary takes an economic perspective, painting a candid picture of how the Dutch chain store HEMA has had to adapt to modern times and globalization to continue as a major player on the highly competitive retail market. It’s all about expansion, even as far as China. But do foreign countries really need quintessentially Dutch concepts such as uniform pricing, the classic HEMA smoked sausages and timeless ladies’ dresses? The CEO is convinced they do. He has little choice, because without expansion his company – with an annual turnover of 1.3 billion euros, over 600 stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany, and 10,000 employees – won’t survive. He shows just how unstable globalization can be. Take China, for example: it’s no longer the production paradise it once was because it simply takes too long for products to reach the stores. So it’s off to Turkey. Chinese filmmaker Yan Ting Yuen, who came to the Netherlands at the age of six, followed the passionate CEO for a year, trying to find out what makes HEMA so unique. It turns out to be about more than just smoked sausages, as shown by the success of the new stores in France, where customers stuff their baskets with coffee mugs and Dutch syrup waffles.

Original title: The Secret of Hema

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© 2012, Licensed by First Hand Films