Dutch Profiles: HEMA

When the Dutch Unity Price Cooperation HEMA opened its doors in 1926, only one thing mattered: the price. Numerous articles were sold for just a few cents.

Since the nineties, quality design became increasingly important too. The company wanted to prove that low prices do not necessarily mean ugly objects. Because of their distinctive designs, the HEMA product range is instantly recognizable.

Although HEMA with its no-nonsense design, can be seen as typically Dutch, the company successfully opened stores outside The Netherlands, with branches in Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany and France.

In 2007 multi-disciplinary design studio Mediamatic used HEMA as inspiration for "EL HEMA", an exhibition in the form of a store in which an Arabic version of the quintessential Dutch HEMA was presented. After initial doubts from HEMA, it embraced the initiative and now the company itself has expanded its product range with Arabic additions.

In 1983 HEMA started the HEMA design competition for students. Its success grows with each passing year, and some former award winning designs, like the teakettle Le Lapin or the tast-toe cake tray, are still on sale in their stores.

http://www.hema.nl

CREDITS
Commissioning editor Submarine: Geert van de Wetering
Producer: Olivia Sophie van Leeuwen
Research Assistant: Liselot Francken
Director: Lieza Röben
Camera: Marijn Zurburg
Sound: Eric Leek
Editor: Niels de Roos
Colour Correction: Maurik de Ridder
Music/Sound Design: Pastelle Music

Produced by Submarine, Femke Wolting & Bruno Felix
http://www.submarine.nl

Commissioned by DutchDFA
http://www.dutchdfa.com

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