Trendhopper Breda wins the Experience of the Month Award for May!

18/6/2025

We travelled to the welcoming province of Brabant, because Trendhopper Breda has won the Experience of the Month Award! Every month, our mystery shoppers visit hundreds of stores and hospitality venues, and from all these results we choose the most remarkable, customer-friendly or outstanding experiences. In May, this was without a doubt Trendhopper Breda!

An unexpected surprise

Our mystery shopper was repeatedly surprised during the visit at Trendhopper, which resulted in a score of 98%: “The employee really took their time with me. The advice I received based on my own living and dining room was honest, offered new insights and showed the employee’s passion, which made me feel I was in good hands. I was even given a bottle of bubbly with my purchase, a lovely extra surprise!”

69-year-old Jeannette van Son was absolutely stunned when we entered the store with the award. “How fun! Totally unexpected. It really was a nice conversation. And so great that the shopper walked out with a sofa and a table. And to think they only get €30 for a visit,” she laughs. “I can sell quite well and that shows in the numbers, but it’s still a snapshot. By the way, I never say that I’m the owner! But I am really happy and surprised by this award.”

Her husband founded the Breda store 30 years ago. They now have a team of 15 employees in the shop, which is currently run by her son. Jeannette herself has worked at this location for 25 years: “In the beginning I was more in the background, occasionally selling some cushions, but over time it became more and more and I gradually grew into it. I also really had to learn how to deal with customers. I used to be a hairdresser, so that helped me get used to interacting with people. I guess it’s in my blood.”

Improving nationally with mystery shopping

Louis Köhler, formula manager at VME and responsible for the overarching support of all Trendhopper stores, is proud of the team’s achievements in Breda.
“Jeannette and her colleagues show how important the human factor is. People prefer to buy from people they like.”

Louis has been working for Trendhopper for four years now. He uses the results from the mystery visits as a guiding tool for improving store performance.

“We’ve noticed that the middle phase of the customer conversation often lacks depth, and that’s where there’s still room for improvement. This visit perfectly demonstrates how crucial depth and genuine attention to the customer really are. During store visits or at our biannual formula days, we dive into the improvement points together. Sometimes we organize training sessions, but ultimately, the business owner decides. I’m always thinking about how we can improve on a national level.”

Customer focus with a personal touch

So what makes the difference according to Jeannette?
“Being yourself. That’s the most important thing. Observe carefully, and don’t jump down someone’s throat right away. You still see that happen too often in other stores, and it backfires. You want to make friendly contact and start a conversation, without pushing.”

And it pays off! Trendhopper Breda has been among the top stores for two years, and this year is once again firmly in the top 3.

Congratulations again, Jeannette and the entire team at Trendhopper Breda! A well-deserved recognition for your warm service and genuine attention.