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In German-speaking countries, NORMA Group has a namesake, the discount grocery store NORMA. This has at times led to some very strange and unusual mix-ups. Here at Group Communications, we have quite a list of interesting stories to tell. In this article we have put together the funniest and most bizarre mix-ups for you.
Most of the time it goes something like this: We receive an email asking for a statement on a specific topic. This includes topics such as the sale of cheap meat, use of disposable plastic bags, the spiraling cost of food or a burned-down supermarket. Sound strange? Hold on to your seats because it gets even better:
Sometimes we also receive requests for permission to film at a NORMA store, for example in Berlin or Munich. One of the oddest filming requests we have ever received was without a doubt this one: A well-known science program on German television asked if they could go shopping with a robot in one of the supermarkets. The temptation to simply give them permission to film and then just sit back and watch what happens can sometimes be overwhelming. Of course, we always provide the journalists with a polite answer and point out that this is a case of mistaken identity and that we are an internationally-active industrial company specializing in joining technology.
Journalists do, of course, also call us. The conversation then goes something like this: “NORMA Group, good afternoon…” and then “I’m afraid I have to interrupt you for a moment, there’s been a bit of a mix-up here, we really aren’t the discount grocery store”, “Are you sure?” “Yes I’m sure, but don’t worry, we get that a lot…”.
It’s not only journalists who reach out to us, though. We also get inquiries and complaints from the discounter’s customers on social media: “The falafel from Rewe tastes much better…”, “I ordered a washing machine in your online store, will you take my old machine with you?”, “The cashier at NORMA in Buxtehude was super rude to me…”, the list goes on and on.
Now, many of you, especially those from non-German speaking countries, certainly think that two completely different companies are very easy to tell apart. Especially when the companies operate in completely different industries. On the one hand, we have NORMA Group, an industrial company specializing in joining technology, including clamps and connectors. And on the other side NORMA, a discount food retailer that sells frozen pizzas, cat food, detergents and sweets. But the risk of getting the two mixed up continues to be very high – as demonstrated by the many inquiries and phone calls we receive.
Anyone who has now reading this blog although all they actually wanted was to know which frozen pizzas are currently on sale: Why don’t you ask at the discount grocery store? They have a lot more expertise when it comes to frozen pizzas than we do.