We officially launched the Westwing Culture Code across all our global locations – a big moment that brought together all teams to align on what makes us unique and how we work together to achieve our ambition: becoming the Superbrand in Design. Through vibrant discussions and interactive challenges during our Culture Days, we introduced the 5 principles that define the core of our culture.
The Culture Code defines the purpose we serve, the impact we have, and the way we work. It captures what makes us who we are, and it’s here to help every team member navigate decisions, drive impact, and shape our unique culture. If you’re curious about what it’s like to work at Westwing, this is a great place to start.
The purpose we serve. We’re the Beautiful Living Company. Relationships, feelings, experiences – there are so many aspects that can contribute positively to our lives. For most people, a home is a lot more than just a place where we store our clothes, eat and sleep. It’s a place where we experience some of the most beautiful moments of the day, the week, and of our life. Westwing’s purpose is to play a role in this, by supporting and exciting our customers to create homes that unlock the full beauty of life.
Our target customers are design lovers. They have the highest expectations when it comes to aesthetics and longevity of products, but also to excellence in all touchpoints they have with a brand. To match them, we’re building the Superbrand in Design.
It’s from our customers’ expectations that we derive what matters most to us as a company. Other stakeholders include investors, our team and business partners. If in doubt, we ask ourselves whether something is beneficial or harmful to Westwing becoming the Superbrand in Design. This means going back time and again to “what our target customer expects”: We’re obsessed with this question!
The impact we have. Westwing is a place for people who really want to make a difference. It’s important to have a clear vision & sound long-term strategy, but success ultimately comes from great execution.
PRINCIPLE #1: WE DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS. Our customers demand excellence, that’s why Westwing is a place where the exceptional is the expectation – we don’t settle for mediocrity. Like in a top professional sports team or a world-class fashion house, we play to win. Some of our achievements we can measure very well, such as the number of happy customers we serve, or the financials we deliver for our investors. Other achievements are rather recognised by experts in our field, such as opinion leaders in design, social media and publishing.
Take the Westwing Delivery Service as an example: For many customers, receiving large items like sofas or beds used to be a frustrating experience. Westwing decided to change that. Today, our branded teams ensure seamless door-to-door delivery across Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, the Ruhr area (operating from Cologne), Stuttgart, and Vienna.
Because we are obsessed with the question “What does our customer expect?”
The way we work. Even if achieving exceptional results is the most important ingredient, we do care about how we get there. This is because we think it will make us individually and the whole company more successful in the long run, and because we want to have a great time together.
PRINCIPLE #2: BEING HUMAN IS OUR SUPERPOWER. At Westwing, we believe that exceptional results come from exceptional teamwork – same as in a top professional sports team. There’s no space for elbows and politics. Kindness, assuming good intentions and genuine care are fundamental to how we work together, but we don’t mistake this for comfort or being a family. By giving candid feedback and setting clear expectations, we push ourselves and others to unlock our full potential and to wow our customers.
Why do we say we are not a family? The ideal image of a family is beautiful – and many aspects of it can be found at Westwing: We care for each other, we support each other, we celebrate wins, and we show up when someone is going through a tough time.
The key difference is: the foundation of many families is unconditional love. And we are not bound by unconditional love. We are bound by a shared vision. We can only achieve our goals by embracing candid feedback, setting clear expectations, and holding ourselves to high performance standards. By doing so, we push ourselves – and each other – to unlock our full potential and to wow our customers. That’s how we win.
So, we are not a family – we are a team. #TeamWestwing
PRINCIPLE #3: WE DO BUSINESS CREATIVELY. From designing beautiful products for our customers to crafting innovative technology or business solutions, creativity sets us apart. We are curious, think outside the box and bring bold ideas to life. We’re constantly testing, learning, developing, crafting, and adapting. This mindset enables us to be the inspirational, curated, sustainable one-stop destination and mega desirable brand.
But do we really need to be creative even if we are not working in “Creative”? Absolutely. Because creativity isn’t limited to job titles – it’s about how we think and solve problems: Whether it’s developing a merchandising plan, finding savings potential, or solving product availability issues – creativity is essential to deliver exceptional results.
One example? Two weeks before a major global football event, we had a special campaign running – selling TVs. The challenge? Delivery constraints left many customers waiting – just one week before kickoff. Team Westwing went above and beyond: They drove to electronics markets across Germany and Poland to collect as many of these TVs as possible. Great example for a creative, hands-on solution, right?
We believe: It’s always worth it to go the extra mile.
PRINCIPLE #4: WE ACT LIKE BUSINESS OWNERS. We’re passionate about what we do, going the extra mile when needed and taking pride in our beautiful products. We hold ourselves and others accountable. We always act in the best interest of the company (“CEO perspective”), not just our individual area. We’re cost-conscious and make the right trade-off decisions between quality and speed.
Zooming out and asking ‘What’s best for the company?’ isn’t always easy. Acting like a business owner sometimes means making tough decisions – like letting go of a project you really love because the business needs you elsewhere, or supporting a team member in moving to another department if that’s where they can create more impact. But these are the moments we grow – and the ones that make us proud.
During our Culture Day, our team got a chance to reflect on this mindset: “If you had 24 hours as Westwing’s CEO – what would you change?” This question stood at the heart of one of our interactive stations, where everyone was invited to step into the driver’s seat and share bold, business-focused ideas on our “CEO for a Day” wall. All ideas were collected – our CEO, Andreas Hoerning, is still busy going through all the great ideas.
PRINCIPLE #5: WE APPLY A GROWTH MINDSET. We take full ownership of our own growth, actively seeking opportunities to leave our comfort zone, learn from our mistakes and raise the bar to increase the level of excellence at Westwing. We contribute to Westwing’s fast-paced environment by embracing and driving change.
Some might wonder: “Can I really try things out, or is my career over when I fail?” Being creative – as stated in our Principle #3, ‘WE DO BUSINESS CREATIVELY.’ – means accepting that failure is part of the process. You can’t expect to get everything right on the first try.
The only rules we really have are: 1. Learn from mistakes so we don’t make the same mistake twice 2. Take calculated risks 3. Step out fast enough if something’s not working
During our Culture Day, everyone had the chance to share mistakes others can learn from. Team members reflected on their most meaningful failures – the result? A wall filled with real stories, honest reflections, and powerful insights. Many stories ended with the same message: “I’d do it differently now.” That’s the essence of a growth mindset.
The opportunity ahead This is the way we do business, and it’s certainly not for everyone. If you’re ready to be part of a high-performing team that’s passionate about delivering the best for its customers by building the Superbrand in Design, we can’t wait for you to join us on this journey!