ASA SELECTION : THE QUIET STRENGTH OF ASA SELECTION

2026 marks a symbolic milestone in the history of ASA Selection, as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. At a time when market conditions sometimes call for caution, the brand demonstrates that periods of uncertainty can be navigated without compromising its convictions. By remaining true to its identity, investing in creativity and building long-term partnerships, ASA Selection has made consistency the foundation of its resilience. It is undoubtedly this steadfast approach that, fifty years after its creation, continues to earn the trust of both retailers and consumers.

While many companies are reducing investment, ASA Selection has chosen the opposite path. For Nuno Gameiro, who runs the company alongside his wife Catrin Schubkegel, daughter of the founder, slowing consumer demand makes it all the more important to strengthen what truly sets a brand apart. “In a slowing market, continued strong investment in creativity remains our main driver of differentiation,” he explains.

Navigating a period of uncertainty requires clear decisions and the means to remain strong. This is the vision that guides the company today. Its management fully embraces this investment, convinced that it remains essential in order to continue surprising the market. New collections, new colour themes, original shapes and creative universes give retailers genuine reasons to renew their assortments and consumers new reasons to buy. In an environment where every purchase is increasingly considered, innovation is no longer simply about creating surprise. It must provide a genuine reason to purchase.

PREPARING TO ENTER NEW TERRITORIES

This momentum will not stop in 2026. Nuno Gameiro and Catrin Schubkegel are already preparing the next stage in the development of the German brand. Without revealing the details yet, they have announced the arrival, from 2027 onwards, of new product categories extending beyond tableware alone. This diversification follows a carefully considered strategy. After the strong enthusiasm generated during the Covid period, the market is gradually returning to a more measured pace. ASA Selection intends to accompany this evolution by expanding its offering with products that remain connected to the home, in order to build customer loyalty and attract new consumers. The company also intends to strengthen the gifting dimension of its collections, a segment that still offers significant growth potential. By gradually expanding its territory while remaining faithful to its DNA, ASA Selection is building a more balanced and resilient growth model.

A FORWARD-LOOKING CREATIVE SIGNATURE

When asked about ASA Selection’s main strengths, Nuno Gameiro mentions neither commercial performance, industrial investment nor sales volumes. In his view, the company’s true strength lies in its ability to remain faithful to its identity. “Our strength lies in staying true to our style.” Every day, sales teams in France and international markets report feedback from the field, whether on new colours, new shapes or new uses. All of these insights are listened to and analysed to enrich the teams’ thinking, but only those that fit with the brand’s vision ultimately give rise to new collections. “Listening is essential, but knowing when to make a choice and take decisions is equally important,” says Nuno Gameiro. The same commitment to consistency can be found throughout the collections. Every product developed by ASA Selection has its own identity. Consumers may find a similar colour or comparable shape elsewhere, but never an identical collection. This identity is one of the brand’s greatest strengths. It enables retailers to offer genuinely distinctive products in a market where many ranges are becoming increasingly alike. In a world where trends follow one another at an ever-increasing pace, ASA Selection chooses to step back, make deliberate choices and maintain an overall perspective. According to Nuno Gameiro, this ability to remain faithful to its vision largely explains the company’s current strength. Innovation only has meaning when it forms part of a coherent strategy. Collections evolve, markets change and consumer expectations shift, but ASA Selection’s identity remains instantly recognisable.

A TRUSTED PARTNER IN A CHANGING MARKET

Nuno Gameiro and Catrin Schubkegel are closely monitoring the profound changes currently affecting retailers, particularly in France, in order to better understand their strategies and new needs. Their ambition now goes beyond simply presenting collections. More than a supplier, ASA Selection aims to support its partners as they evolve and to work with them on long-term projects that create value. This positioning is now one of the brand’s greatest strengths. In Germany, where ASA Selection enjoys very strong brand awareness, retailers regard it as a genuinely dependable choice. Against a backdrop of slowing consumer spending and declining store traffic, they are above all looking for partners capable of providing stability and visibility. This confidence is the result of a strategy pursued consistently for fifty years. ASA Selection’s management does not hesitate to turn down certain commercial opportunities when they risk weakening its distribution network, particularly on major e-commerce platforms. Although these channels could generate rapid short-term growth, the German company prefers to protect the balance of its long-standing retail partners. “We want to be a loyal and dependable partner. Our objective is for us to remain strong together.” This approach is based on a deliberately controlled distribution policy founded on respect for retail territories, the work of retailers and their ability to differentiate themselves. This undoubtedly helps explain why, in a world more uncertain than ever, ASA Selection is regarded by many industry professionals as a truly trusted name.

LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO INDUSTRIAL PARTNERS

Following the recent anti-dumping measures, the brand has nevertheless not called its industrial organisation into question, preferring to seek a new balance rather than disrupt a model built over several decades. Increasing production in Europe might seem a natural choice, particularly in Portugal, where ASA Selection already manufactures most of its collections. Industrial reality, however, is more complex. Production cannot simply be transferred from one location to another. Porcelain continues to be manufactured in China, not for cost reasons, but because the necessary expertise and technical capabilities currently have no immediate equivalent in Europe. As Nuno Gameiro explains, changing manufacturer involves far more than simply relocating production. The same quality, shades, glazes, finishes, tactile feel, firing behaviour and manufacturing consistency all have to be reproduced. For an established collection, this is a particularly challenging process. This requirement explains ASA Selection’s long-standing commitment to its industrial partners in Portugal, China, India and Vietnam, some of whom have worked with the company for more than thirty years. Behind every collection are artisans who perpetuate expertise handed down from generation to generation. It is this technical and human heritage that ASA Selection intends to preserve.