Henkel to offer personal services

Henkel, the German detergents and personal care company, has unveiled plans to provide butler-style personal services to cash-rich, time-poor consumers.

The services, which include paying bills, arranging theatre or concert tickets, booking restaurants and shopping, are being introduced in Germany and the UK.

Henkel has teamed up with London-based lifestyle and home management company tenUK, and German company RWE.com, to launch tenDE, which will provide personal services via the telephone or Internet.

Henkel e-business director Ralf Heine says: “Henkel’s participation in tenDE is an innovative move into the service sector by using technologies.

“We found the ideal partner in tenUK to help us make a start in this new market.”

Henkel, working with tenUK, plans to launch tenDE across Europe.

For &£1,500 a year, members will be able to hire personal lifestyle managers, available 24 hours a day, to ensure that services such as holiday planning, walking the dog and house repairs are carried out satisfactorily.

Jobs including party planning for special occasions, overseeing building conversion projects and real estate management will also form part of the tenDE services.

Consumers will also have a choice of opting for a lifestyle consultant instead of a lifestyle manager. In the UK, Schwarzkopf & Henkel is the personal care division of the consumer goods company.