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Tschibo-Niveau

English translation: It should be smart and upmarket and not just something for the bargain hunter

19:48 Jun 25, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Marketing / Market Research
German term or phrase: Tschibo-Niveau
From a market research interview about product design:
Wenn ich an xxx denke, denke ich immer an sehr hochwertige Produkte. Wenn ich das dann aber sehe, dann ist das xxx Design doch eher im mittleren oder unteren Bereich angesiedelt, dann finde ich das nicht so gut. Das darf nicht Tschibo-Niveau haben. Da muss man ein bisschen besser sortieren ....

I know exactly what is meant but who can help me find a snappy cultural equivalent? Thanks for your help.
Nicole Tata
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:46
English translation:It should be smart and upmarket and not just something for the bargain hunter
Explanation:
I rather object to Tschibo being portrayed here as bargain-basement, crappy, low quality etc. They offer mass-produced bargain products, but the shops are certainly nothing like Aldi. The products are attractively arranged and there's always something new and unusual.

Apart from that you can often sit down and have a cup of coffee and a snack. How come Starbucks is any better?

I think the point that the writer is trying to make is that XXX must be a cut above the rest, i.e. very upmarket. I don't think that this is meant to be denigrating about Tschibo. It simply means that Tschibo is selling to a mass public.

Some British stores do occur to me, but I would rather not mention any names and I don't think there's an exact equivalent. But I'm sure you can come up with one yourself. You only have to walk down the high-street.

I wouldn't mention any names myself.
Selected response from:

Alarch Gwyn
Local time: 16:46
Grading comment
Thanks everyone. I think Anne has the best solution here.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7It should be smart and upmarket and not just something for the bargain hunter
Alarch Gwyn
4 +3"run of the mill"
Derek Gill Franßen
4 +1El Cheapo
Wolf Brosius (X)
4bargain basement level
Regina Landeck
3 +1Walmart-level design
Zeyern
4mid-range
Textklick
4franchise level
BellaBella
4It shouldn't be like something from Tchibo.
Richard Benham
3the usual ...
Kevin Fulton
4 -1Dunkin' Donuts level
Katrin Atienza (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
the usual ...


Explanation:
crap, garbage, junk, commonplace product, etc.

It's so common, it's invisible.

Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 10:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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25 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
"run of the mill"


Explanation:
I don't find Tschibo all that bad! :)

Okay, so Nordstrom's is better...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 34 mins (2004-06-25 20:23:30 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

For more synonyms see: http://www.bartleby.com/62/19/R1311900.html


    Reference: http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/run-of-the-mill
Derek Gill Franßen
Germany
Local time: 16:46
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 34

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  EMatt
37 mins
  -> Thanks.
agree  writeaway: too bad 'daily grind' doesn't fit. like run of the mill since Tchibo isn't really junky-I often find it pretty good value for money. Prefer French coffee however. :-)
47 mins
  -> Same goes for me - I like it, it's good stuff, but it still has some strange stigma attached. I don't get it, but then again, I'm not German.
agree  KirstyMacC (X)
12 hrs
  -> Thanks.
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
Dunkin' Donuts level


Explanation:
Here's a suggestion to stay within the coffe imagery:

Dunkin' Donuts (low-priced coffee, donut, muffin, etc. chain) would be a good fit.

vs. Starbucks (high-end coffee & muffin chain)


Katrin Atienza (X)
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 3

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  EMatt: I don't think Starbucks is high-end, at least not their coffee.
12 mins
agree  A_G_A: I would agree with Starbucks not Dunkin' Donuts. Tchibo is considered a pretty good and pretty expensve coffee in Germany, I guess the point here is that it is a popular "heimat company" and nothing exotic and high level from outside.
12 mins
neutral  Derek Gill Franßen: I agree with Regina in that I don't think it necessarily has to do with the coffee itself.
42 mins
disagree  Angelika Frebert (X): it's not about the coffee at all, it's about all kinds of other products they sell "on the side"
1 day 45 mins
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57 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
bargain basement level


Explanation:
I believe reference is made to the fact that Tchibo sells anything from x-country skis to hairdryers - kind of like Aldi.
I don't think that the reference means that their coffee is bad.

Regina Landeck
Local time: 08:46
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Derek Gill Franßen: I (might) agree with your opinion of Tchibo-products (God knows I've purchased them often enough), but "bargain basement level" kinda' leaves a bad taste in my mouth, which I don't particularly get from Tchibo ;).
32 mins
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Walmart-level design


Explanation:
...daüber klagen hier in den US immer die Zulieferer von Walmart. Nachdem Walmart seine niedrigen Verkaufspreise nur durch eisenharte Preisverhandlungen mit seinen Zulieferern erzielt, werden die Einsparungen oft am Design und der Funktionsvielfalt der Produkte vorgenommen....

Zeyern
United States
Local time: 10:46
Native speaker of: German

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith: very US, again, the quality is cheaper than Tschibo
17 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
It should be smart and upmarket and not just something for the bargain hunter


Explanation:
I rather object to Tschibo being portrayed here as bargain-basement, crappy, low quality etc. They offer mass-produced bargain products, but the shops are certainly nothing like Aldi. The products are attractively arranged and there's always something new and unusual.

Apart from that you can often sit down and have a cup of coffee and a snack. How come Starbucks is any better?

I think the point that the writer is trying to make is that XXX must be a cut above the rest, i.e. very upmarket. I don't think that this is meant to be denigrating about Tschibo. It simply means that Tschibo is selling to a mass public.

Some British stores do occur to me, but I would rather not mention any names and I don't think there's an exact equivalent. But I'm sure you can come up with one yourself. You only have to walk down the high-street.

I wouldn't mention any names myself.

Alarch Gwyn
Local time: 16:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks everyone. I think Anne has the best solution here.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Derek Gill Franßen: Yes, I agree with you.
9 mins
agree  Orla Ryan
1 hr
agree  Wenjer Leuschel (X): It's better to be fair and not to mention any company name. I like Tschibo.
4 hrs
agree  writeaway: agree-Tschibo is perfectly ok, nowadays it's in to shop "upmarket" even if you can't afford it.all marketing seems based on the present day 'Schein statt Sein' lifestyle.
4 hrs
agree  Gillian Scheibelein: neat solution. I actively go and look to see if Tchibo has anything interesting on offer. Its so easy to buy something you don't really need just because its a bargain and good value for money.
8 hrs
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith: Tschibo does not have snob appeal, just for consumers
17 hrs
agree  Angelika Frebert (X)
1 day 0 min
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
El Cheapo


Explanation:
Does not look, but sounds similar and has no culture.
Cheers
Wolf

Wolf Brosius (X)
Local time: 16:46
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Angelika Frebert (X): definitely the funniest solution!
14 hrs
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12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
mid-range


Explanation:
...has to be really more up-market rather than mid-range.

I think some colleagues here possibly don't realise that they are talking about the mail order catalogue stuff. I also think the Tchibo mail order stuff is fine, but it's not the quality you'd get from an up-market German dept. store. Products like WMF etc.

I claim to be an up-market translator but I suppose I should admit my taste in e.g. knives is more workmanlike and mid-range. Functional rather than up-market. Give me a practical interface to cut a steak with.

HTH
Chris ;-)


    Reference: http://www.tchibo.co.uk/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/...
    Reference: http://www.wmf.de/
Textklick
Local time: 15:46
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 105
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
franchise level


Explanation:
This may work, a franchise tires to deliver a certain level of quality - is rarely high-quality (my opinion).

BellaBella
Germany
Local time: 16:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Das darf nicht Tchibo-Niveau haben.
It shouldn't be like something from Tchibo.


Explanation:
Tchibo is not a problem. The interviewee mentioned Tchibo, and so Tchibo it must be, possibly with a translator's note explaining that Tchibo, as well as being a brand of coffee, is also (more relevantly here) a discount chain.

As the interview was doubtless conducted orally, there is no reason to preserve the spelling mistake.

There may be a case for making "culturally equivalent" substitutions in many types of translation, but, assuming the translation is to be used for the same sorts of purposes as an original market research interview would be, you should not deliberately destroy information here.

If you must, I understand there are or were (possibly unrelated) discount chains called Woolworths on both sides of the herring-pond.

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 16:46
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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