My Dallmayr Information Interview that I conducted in Munich, back in Winter 1999, to become informed about the gift basket business in Germany back then. 

Alois Dallmayr, usually abbreviated to Dallmayr, is the largest delicatessen business in Europe and one of the best-known German coffee brands: The company has a history of over 300 years and is still in family ownership today. (Says Wikipedia.)

 

 

Why Did I Do This?

The reason why I conducted this Dallmayr Information Interview, was because Mom and I had a gift basket business, Elderberry Creations, for seven years. We created beautiful gift baskets. And I was a contributing writer for two gift basket industry magazines during the 1990’s.

An excerpt from my 1999 My Dallmayr Information Interview:

In Germany at the time, large stores were designing gift baskets, but individuals were not doing them at all!

Gift baskets are assembled upstairs in the third floor workshop. Trims are kept simple, usually just a single bow and ribbon cascading down the sides of the basket. Containers are varied.

Food items are themed general enough to provide something for all tastes. All food products in the catalog gift baskets bear the Dallmayr logo.

Inside Dallmayr

Window displays are very elaborate and extremely well themed. There is a coffee display window; a wine and spirits display, to lure customers inside. Once in, you’ll find it hard pressed not to leave empty handed -and on a full stomach. Samples are given out to tempt customers even more.

Visitors will find a world wide selection of tempting items in the store. Good service is provided by 200 employees. This location also hosts a great food selection. Aisles and aisles of specialties from around the world tempt the traveler and locals alike.

Another German company doing gift baskets is Karstadt Department Store, which has recently in 2020, closed many of their locations. They have (at the time, had) a nice brochure, covering gifts from traditional Bavaria to gifts displayed in U.S. Mail Boxes, trash cans, and baseball caps 🧢!

 

 

This is an excerpt from my Kosice Journal, documenting my exodus from a (relatively happy) bustling life in beautiful San Diego, to (voluntarily) take a post teaching English in the newly independent eastern capital of Slovakia  during a very cold winter 1999.