Experience Digital Transformation: Human-driven Journey

MediaMarktSaturn

Experience Digital Transformation: Human-driven Journey

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, digital transformation is not just a trend, it is a necessity. At MediaMarktSaturn, people are at the heart of the digital transformation. By embedding innovation and digital transformation in our mindset and empowering employees, we are improving the customer and employee experience and building a future-ready organization.

MediaMarktSaturn’s Approach to Digital Transformation

Digital transformation goes beyond implementing new technologies, it's about creating a mindset that embraces change, fosters innovation, and puts people at the heart of everything. We empower our employees to innovate and learn. We run activities, initiatives and programs that connect technology and people to ensure we deliver the best experience for employees and customers. That’s how we drive meaningful change that improves our operations and services.

Two events that reflect the company’s commitment to human-driven digital transformation, our internal innovative strength and our way of working together are the Innovation Days of MediaMarktSaturn Technology and the Finance GenAI Hackathon. These events were designed to harness the creativity and expertise of our employees, encouraging them to generate and prototype innovative ideas.

The Finance GenAI Ideathon & Hackathon

During the two-days event in mid-July, the participants brought the headquarter in Ingolstadt to life with their ideas, creativity and fun. Across both days, Accesa employees actively participated in the event, contributing their ideas, expertise, and valuable insights to support the participants. In the Ideathon, five teams competed to create and present outstanding ideas with high potentials to improve our business. The Hackathon took place one week after the Ideathon, where the teams of the three winning ideas worked in cross-functional teams to develop minimum viable products in one day.

The Ideathon and Hackathon events not only drive our digital transformation by encouraging employee engagement and innovation, but also create a fun, collaborative atmosphere where everyone can contribute to our digital transformation. Our employees are the driving force that ensures we continuously improve the shopping experience for our customers, the satisfaction of our employees and the cooperation with our partners - the overall MediaMarktSaturn experience.
Mohammed Al Ghadban, Head of Digital Transformation in Finance

And the winner is: “Let’s Buy AI” Team. The team developed a custom, personalized dashboard with a GenAI chat interface to conveniently receive information about all accessible contract data from the indirect procurement area. They were even able to save results and provide visualization. The winning team was able to present a finished live solution at the end of the day. The next steps will include what-if analysis of such contract data. The goal is to make life easier for more than 150 employees. 

What is the initial target group for the “Let’s Buy AI” tool?

In the first phase, the focus will be on MediaMarktSaturn Technology employees, such as delivery leads and new team members in product teams, but also colleagues from controlling and managing directors. 
 

What exactly can you ask the tool? Some concrete examples:

What contracts do we have, please summarize the key dates.

What is the contract structure in my area and when do contracts end? How do they impact the current fiscal year (saving time and providing clear data)?

Contract analysis - please summarize the key points of a particular contract document for me.

What does it mean for the next fiscal year if each contract becomes 5% more expensive when it is renewed?

But the Finance Hackathon didn't end there. All ideas were added to the digital hub backlog, where ideas are parked and may be addressed again at a later date. Teams eager to continue developing their concepts will be supported by the Transformation and Digital Hub (TDH) team.

Tech Innovation Days 2024: spotlight on creativity and innovation

Under the motto "create the change you want", the Tech Innovation Days 2024 once again demonstrated that MediaMarktSaturn is a hotspot for creative minds and innovative ideas - and above all: that it doesn't just stop at ideas, but that these can be developed into functioning prototypes in the shortest possible time. Five teams presented their prototypes to the jury on the big stage during the Tech Summit, our internal event with several hundred attendees, and were awarded on the same day. 

Congratulations to the winners!

1st place: HyperPersonalization 
The prototype provides a working solution to make the online shopping experience even more personalized and to focus on that content in the right place on our website.


2nd place: myMediaMarkt Adventure World
This solution focuses on the gamification approach and is designed to encourage customers to unlock prizes through a variety of games and become more engaged with the brand. 


3rd place: Sustainable Shopping
Sustainability is an integral part of our business and this prototype integrates it even more visibly and interactively into the online store, for example by visually displaying how much CO2 can be saved by making a more sustainable purchase or through a more sustainable delivery.
 

The five teams worked together across the company to bring their ideas to life in several phases. In the first phase, participants submitted innovation ideas and presented them to the judges. The ideas had to pay special attention to key areas such as personalization, resilience, omnichannel experiences, artificial intelligence, sustainability, gamification and accessibility to ensure that the technological solutions were not only advanced, but also delivered real value to our customers and our business.

From the 19 ideas presented, five teams were selected for the second phase to realize their visions in newly created design sprints. Working in a hybrid mode and with the support of business and technology experts, they developed their projects into working prototypes. To do this, the idea generators enlisted the support of other colleagues from across the company to bring together a wide range of perspectives and skills. At the Tech Summit, the five teams presented their results and wowed attendees with the potential of the solutions they had developed in such a short time.

So what's next? The plan is not to stop at ideas and prototypes, as the Tech Summit made it clear that the solutions presented have great potential. All five ideas from the Innovation Days will be matched with appropriate sponsors from the technology and business communities who will help the teams move the idea forward.
 

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MediaMarktSaturn and Dishbrain launch first award for artificial intelligence in the user sector

MediaMarktSaturn

MediaMarktSaturn and Dishbrain launch first award for artificial intelligence in the user sector

Together with Dishbrain, MediaMarktSaturn is setting an example for the broad application of artificial intelligence in everyday life and is presenting a new award. Innovative AI entrepreneurs - from small SMEs to school classes - can apply in six categories. The focus is always on solutions that make everyday life better.

MediaMarktSaturn and the AI hub Dishbrain are taking off with the introduction of the "Dishbrain Awards". Unlike previous awards, the new award focuses for the first time on practical benefits as well as intelligent and user-friendly AI solutions for end consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises. Prizes will be awarded for ideas and application examples that make everyday life easier, more efficient and more cost-effective and solve complex problems. The application phase begins in fall 2024.

"MediaMarktSaturn has been supporting customers with technical innovations for over 40 years. It is therefore our duty to show them which AI solutions make sense for them and how they can positively change their lives. We want to help ensure that the use of AI applications progresses quickly and becomes a natural part of everyone's life. With the Dishbrain Award, we not only want to honor outstanding innovations, but also create a platform for new ideas and exchange," says Dr. Karsten Wildberger, CEO of MediaMarktSaturn. 

Six awards for AI entrepreneurs

The Dishbrain Award provides an opportunity to spotlight outstanding projects and applications of artificial intelligence in the business world and private life. In contrast to other awards, which focus on professionals and large companies, the award concentrates on users and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Companies and private idea providers are invited to submit their innovative solutions and successes for the following categories:

Award

 Description

Dishbrain - Medium-sized business

Award for medium-sized companies that have successfully integrated AI into their processes.

Dishbrain - Research & Development

Award for researchers and developers who have broken new ground with AI.

Dishbrain - Sustainability

Award for projects that use AI to promote sustainability.

Dishbrain - Customer service

Award for the best use of AI in customer service.

Dishbrain - Everyday

Award for people or projects that use AI innovatively and effectively in everyday life.

Dishbrain - Health & Fitness

Award for health promotion through the use of AI.

Further details can be found here on LINKEDIN. The application phase starts in fall 2024.

The Dishbrain Award celebrates the creativity, progress and possibilities offered by AI. The award presents simple but ingenious applications that can already increase productivity and make everyday life easier.
"We also present visionary projects that show the way forward for small and medium-sized enterprises and help them prepare for future developments. At Dishbrain, we understand the importance of this connection - it's already embedded in our name. Dishbrain symbolizes the fusion of old-fashioned communication technology (Dish) with advanced intelligence (Brain) to create a new dimension of thinking and acting," emphasizes Michael Caudera, Managing Director of Dishbrain.

The collaboration between Dishbrain and MediaMarktSaturn is based on the common goal of facilitating access to modern technology and optimally reaching and supporting a broad target group. Dishbrain brings a valuable network of contacts in the AI field and new ideas, while Europe's leading electronics retailer MediaMarktSaturn uses its experience and reach to make the innovative approaches to artificial intelligence accessible to a wider audience. The award aims to gradually establish itself as the leading prize for AI applications and build a community that shapes the future together.

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How technology can be experienced through different store formats

MediaMarktSaturn

Shopping experience at MediaMarktSaturn

How technology can be experienced through different store formats

MediaMarktSaturn is transforming itself from the pure product provider of the past into a customer-centric omnichannel service platform. The company, which operates in 11 European countries, is aligning all of its decisions with the needs of its customers. The shopping experience is constantly being improved on all channels - in-store, online and in the app. This is why MediaMarktSaturn continues to invest heavily in its brick-and-mortar stores. They should be places of experience, always where our customers need us. To this end, the stores are being continuously modernized and four core formats have been rolled out in all countries over the past few years: Lighthouse, Xpress, Smart and Core. Wherever possible and promising, new concepts such as a Mobility Store or Space as a Service offerings are being tested.

The goal is clear: a modern shopping experience for our customers across all channels. Omnichannel, the networking of online and offline channels, is MediaMarktSaturn's great strength, as is the focus on the customer and their needs. The company's motto is: the right format in the right place in order to be even closer to the customer and respond more individually to their needs. The stores and personal advice are MediaMarktSaturn's ace up its sleeve compared to its major competitors. MediaMarktSaturn also offers its partners unique opportunities to present their products. The Lighthouse, Core, Smart and Xpress store formats are being continuously developed and rolled out step by step in all countries; the second Lighthouse in Austria recently opened in Graz.
 

Lighthouse - The lighthouse for "experiencing electronics"

The Lighthouse stores are the places where customers can experience the latest technology up close and in a special way - be it in our European TechVillages or in the two Xperion stores in Germany. They are located in prominent shopping locations in major cities and are characterized by an eye-catching facade and a unique interior layout. 

The TechVillages are set up like a small city of their own: in the center are product presentations and special experience areas to try out the latest gadgets. In the surrounding boutiques, the best-known technology brands present themselves completely in their own branding and design of the area and show their latest product releases there. 

The Xperion stores, on the other hand, are e-sports and technology experience worlds where fans of the gaming scene and technology enthusiasts get their money's worth. In addition to freely available gaming areas, the Xperion concept is characterized by a large arena for live events and direct networking via social channels. 

By the 2025/26 financial year, there will be around 20 Lighthouse stores throughout Europe. There are currently ten Lighthouse stores in Germany (2x Berlin as TechVillage and Xperion, Cologne as Xperion), Italy (Milan, Rome), Spain (Madrid), the Netherlands (Rotterdam), Austria (Vienna, Graz) and Turkey (Istanbul). This year in July, the latest TechVillage opened in Graz, and in September Germany will also have its second TechVillage in Hamburg.
 

Lighthouse

MediaMarktSaturn opens Germany's first TechVillage in Berlin

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New gaming area in Berlin

Xperion world of experience opens at Saturn on Alexanderplatz

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Core - the heart of the brick-and-mortar stores

The core format is the standard format for stationary stores. Most stores in all countries are set up in this format. The focus is on the presentation of an extensive product range, service and experience - customers should be able to experience electronics. This is why there are special experience zones dedicated to trend topics such as electromobility or gaming, inviting customers to try out the various products. 

With the new 'Entrance Statement', the experience begins at the entrance: the customer is greeted by a carefully selected product presentation and, for example, an impressive television, while decorative architectural elements round off the first impression at the entrance. At the same time, the sales area is visually separated from the online pick-up or checkout area. In addition, the company's own color code is reinterpreted in the current Look&Feel concept and the products are presented with the help of a new, more sustainable modular furniture system. Currently, around 50% of all stores have been modernized. The aim is to reach 90% by the 2025/26 financial year.
 

MediaMarktSaturn continues further development of store portfolio

First store in Xpress format in Germany and upgrade of Core format in Italy

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MediaMarktSaturn facts and figures

In terms of revenue, sales area and headcount, the MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group is Europe’s leading consumer electronics retailer and provider of related services. Our integrated online and fixed-location offerings reach millions of customers every day.

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Xpress - convenience and simplicity

Combining the necessary technology purchases quickly and conveniently with the weekly shop: This is the idea behind Xpress stores. They can therefore be found in urban and suburban regions, either as stand-alone stores or within a hypermarket. Here, customers experience the full MediaMarkt customer experience with a focused product range geared to local customer needs. 

This format was developed and first introduced in Hungary. The focus here is on rural areas and is already in use almost 20 times in cooperation with partner Tesco. In Poland, three Xpress stores opened in Leszno, Rumia and Suwałki in June and July 2024. This format is also being rolled out further in Austria, for example in Gmunden and Fürstenfeld. At the beginning of 2024, MediaMarkt BeNeLux opened the first Xpress store in Belgium in Wijnegem, near Antwerp, and the concept has also recently been introduced in Italy and is being rolled out further with partner Bennet. The development and success of this format ultimately also formed the basis for the acquisition of 20 former Melectronics locations in Switzerland.
 

Smart - Services around the corner

Forgot your headphones on the way to work? Quickly pick up your online order at the store around the corner? Have your smartphone fitted with a new protective cover? All this and more is possible in the Smart stores. They are located in urban areas, with a smaller product range and space, but with optimal omnichannel integration. The focus is on offering services and the collection of items ordered online. In Italy, the first smart stores were introduced in Rome, Turin and Varese, for example. Since then, the format has been rolled out continuously, and MediaWorld Italy has already opened its second smart store in the capital Rome this year. Work is also underway to implement this store format in other countries. 
 

In addition to these standard formats, MediaMarktSaturn also continues to make its mark with other store concepts: 

Mobility Store in BeNeLux

MediaMarkt BeNeLux has opened an "Urban Mobility Store" in Antwerp that focuses on sustainable urban mobility. Customers will find a wide selection of lightweight electric mobility devices such as e-scooters, e-skateboards, unicycles, e-bikes and fatbikes. 

 

>>LinkedIn Post

MediaMarktSaturn tests pop-up store in Tübingen on the subject of sustainability

Experience technology more sustainably.

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Space-as-a-Service store offering with fitness equipment in Berlin

In the Tech Village at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, customers were able to physically experience Marketplace products for the first time in a pilot project. In this pilot project, a fitness equipment provider used around 22 square meters of exhibition space. The Space-as-a-Service offerings for partners are now being rolled out further across the board so that Marketplace sellers have the opportunity to take advantage of MediaMarktSaturn's omnichannel retailer status and its broad network of brick-and-mortar stores.

 

 

New opening of MediaMarkt Augsburg

All new after remodeling: With immediate effect with integrated kitchen studio from XXXLutz.

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Sustainability pop-up stores 

In Tübingen in Germany, there is a MediaMarktSaturn pop-up store on the subject of sustainability. The concept store combines the Marketplace, a sustainable product range and refurbishment, bringing them from the online world to the sales floor for the first time.

 

 

 

 

 

Space-as-a-Service

MediaMarktSaturn tests offer for Marketplace sellers in Germany.

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MediaMarkt Augsburg with integrated XXXLutz kitchen studio:

The converted MediaMarkt store in Augsburg-Oberhausen has an integrated kitchen studio with show kitchens from XXXLutz. Around 15 kitchens in various price ranges are on display across 300 square meters. Customers benefit from comprehensive advice and can explore both the kitchens on display and the entire XXXLutz kitchen range. MediaMarkt has also entered into a cooperation with the partner in Landshut.

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MediaMarktSaturn ignites the next stage in its marketing transformation with the allocation of international media management

MediaMarktSaturn

MediaMarktSaturn ignites the next stage in its marketing transformation with the allocation of international media management

Since the launch of its Europe-wide brand campaign "Let's Go" in October 2022, the Company has been working on the continuous evolvement of its brand. Now, with a new media agency that is working across national borders for the first time, the full opportunities are also to be exploited in the media sector.

Since October 2022, MediaMarktSaturn has been using the term "Experience Electronics" to describe its repositioning - and at the same time the range of services for its customers. To accompany this, the Company has initiated a comprehensive marketing transformation. The award of the international media budget to the Publicis Group not only creates new synergies: MediaMarktSaturn is taking marketing to the next level of customer-centric and even more personalized communication. 

The right content, the right advice and the right service: In autumn 2022, MediaMarktSaturn launched its first international campaign concept for all countries in which the Company operates.

The Company has created strong proof points for its experience strategy with storytelling campaigns on the topic of mindfulness, such as for Valentine's Day or Christmas, colorful Black Friday communication and a new brand design for the digital age with an emphasis on the iconic "brand swirl". Hence, the focus is on the customer experience and personal advice. 

Michael Schuld, CCMO of MediaMarktSaturn, emphasizes: "Our brand is the centerpiece when it comes to further strengthening our brand purpose 'We create Experience Electronics to enrich people’s life'. Now we are taking the next logical step towards becoming an Experience Champion, also in regard to media."

Further development towards even more personalized and data-supported communication

The Company has just completed the tendering process for a new media agency, at the first time Europe-wide, to exploit the full opportunities also in the area of media, like MediaMarktSaturn did with the brand. The decision is the result of an almost eight-month, multi-stage process to which four major media agency networks were invited. This was the largest international pitch in MediaMarktSaturn's history. The aim of was to further optimize strategy and planning, increase efficiencies, and develop cutting-edge capabilities through data-driven, personalized communication.

The new set-up with the international Publicis media network ensures the right balance between global, efficient media management and locally adapted tactical implementation. Thanks to a new data-based platform, the full potential is exploited: from the creation and use of insights for optimized planning, to perfect targeting across channels, to comprehensive analytics and reporting. 

The consolidation of the agency network makes a new level of exchange between MediaMarktSaturn’s eleven countries possible. New technological possibilities in the ad-tech-stack area should also ensure more efficient use of the media budget and continuous optimization of campaign performance in real time. "We are creating a perfectly networked foundation that gives us new intelligence and new access to analytics. This will further boost our marketing in a data-driven way," explains Michael Schuld. 

The new media agency will manage a budget in the three-digit million range and will launch in October 2024. The pitch was accompanied nationally and internationally by the media management consultancy BRAIN, Munich.

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Becoming an experience champion with service design

MediaMarktSaturn

Becoming an experience champion with service design

MediaMarktSaturn is evolving from a pure product seller into a customer-centric omnichannel service platform. Such a restructuring also means doing things differently. MediaMarktSaturn wants to make the customer's shopping experience even more pleasant and personal. One way to meet this challenge and introduce new processes or services is the service design method.
What I like about service design workshops is the energy that is generated in the room. When people from different departments come together in an atmosphere of trust and develop ideas together on how to improve a customer experience, it's wonderful. I always call it a "nest of trust" where everyone can contribute their own ideas and enrich each other's ideas. This "yes and mindset" brings a lot and is simply fun.
Stefan Wörnle, Manager Customer Experience, Service Design at MediaMarktSaturn

Service design is based on many principles of design thinking

To become an experience champion, we need to know our customers' needs and the various contact points along the customer journey. Service Design uses many elements of the design thinking method and works in so-called sprints with the main phases of analysis/research, idea development/evaluation and implementation. In the research phase, for example, NPS surveys, customer inquiries and complaints from the contact center are used to try and understand what exactly is important to customers when shopping. The aim is also to find out what problems exist. This data is discussed in a series of workshops with representatives from different departments and employees from the stores. This creates a common, broad and in-depth understanding from a technical perspective. Employee concerns are also addressed here.

 

 

 

Many companies are still at the first stage of dealing with customer journeys


Digital transformation is not only shaping customer expectations to have an outstanding shopping experience, it is also changing the way customer interactions are researched, managed and optimized. To manage customer journeys and the associated customer experience improvement measures, MediaMarktSaturn relies on tools such as Conceptboard, smaply and, most recently, "TheyDo". The tool, which is being evaluated as part of a proof of concept, allows a number of so-called macro-journeys (e.g. the purchase of a washing machine) and many micro-journeys contained therein (e.g. the payment process at the checkout) to be mapped in hierarchies. Such a proof of concept demonstrates the feasibility and functionality of a project before it is developed further. The developed improvement ideas per journey and their implementation can also be managed in the tool and connected with interfaces to tools such as "Jira". It is also possible to integrate real-time KPIs such as the Net Promoter Score. When managing a large number of journeys and the associated improvement measures, the tool saves the teams involved up to 40% of their working time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service design sprints thrive on interdisciplinary teams working together over a defined period of time


Service design skills are in demand: service design sprints at MediaMarktSaturn are characterized by effective interdisciplinary cooperation between different departments. This approach makes it possible to react specifically to the requirements of the departments involved and at the same time brings the comprehensive knowledge of the project team to bear. This approach has already led to the implementation of successful projects in the areas of store processes, category management, sustainability, marketplace and many more. Given the importance of service design for the company, a comprehensive training program was launched in March 2024. Special attention is also paid to skills such as interdisciplinary expertise, customer orientation and customer journey knowledge when recruiting new employees.
 

 

What 'needs' or 'pains' does a customer have?


In collaborative workshops, the project team actively identifies customer needs, challenges and elements that trigger enthusiasm, thereby gaining a holistic picture from both the customer and employee perspective. A tried and tested tool is the customer journey map. It shows which steps a customer goes through. It also shows which needs and pain points customers or employees have on this journey. On this basis, potential for improvement is identified at each step, the so-called opportunities. Each opportunity is developed in a team to find a solution. The many ideas must then be evaluated according to their impact on the company and feasibility. Finally, after prioritization, a procedure is drawn up with the most important task packages and responsible parties for each workstream.

 


 

Shaping the customer journey with artificial intelligence


Modern tools also allow customer journeys to be created automatically directly from unstructured, qualitative data such as customer feedback. On the basis of this AI-supported framework, the project team then goes on to generate ideas for improving the customer experience. This partial automation can save a considerable amount of time. Now that MediaMarktSaturn has set up a secure test environment for the use of Chat GPT with Sandy, it is possible to try out the design of customer journeys based on detailed instructions. This innovation is also trained as part of a broad-based training program on service design at MediaMarktSaturn with 2 online training courses and a 2-day workshop.

 

 

 

 


 

Click & Collect - a result of a service design sprint

Customers can collect their online order from a store of their choice within 30 minutes if the goods are in stock there. The basis for this was a Group-wide roll-out of around 44,000 employee smartphones, including apps developed in-house such as "MyStore" and "Pick&Pack".

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The development of service design at MediaMarktSaturn

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Growth area Retail Media: MediaMarktSaturn Introduces Sponsored Brand Ads

MediaMarktSaturn

Growth area Retail Media: MediaMarktSaturn Introduces Sponsored Brand Ads

MediaMarktSaturn is expanding its international Retail Media offering to include Sponsored Brand Ads (SBA). Partners can now choose the new product in eight out of eleven countries to give their brand more visibility and relevance on the platforms of Europe's leading consumer electronics retailer. The launch of Sponsored Brand Ads is an important strategic development alongside the already available Retail Media products of Sponsored Product Ads (SPA), A+ Content and Reporting to continue the strong growth trajectory of Retail Media within the company.

Sponsored Brand Ads can now be booked in Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. MediaMarktSaturn is thus adding another attractive option to its product range and enabling its partners to leverage the entire funnel and increase brand awareness and visibility. The international roll-out of the new product is another important step towards achieving MediaMarktSaturn's goal of expanding its Retail Media business to € 45 million in sales by the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

"We have had a very good start to 2024 and have grown strongly. In our recently released Q2 results, we reported a fivefold increase in revenue for our Retail Media division. With our new Sponsored Brand Ads product, we want to continue this growth and offer our partners the best possible selection of products and services across the entire funnel," said Torsten Ahlers, Managing Director of Media-Saturn Marketing GmbH.

Four Retail Media products already available internationally

If a partner wants to highlight a special product via the search function in the MediaMarktSaturn webshops, Sponsored Product Ads are the right choice. In eight out of eleven countries, this is already available to partners as a self-service option. Partners or advertising agencies can manage and monitor their own budgets. The second product in this onsite area is the recently launched Sponsored Brand Ad. It allows partners to focus on their entire brand, e.g. an entire product line, to increase brand awareness (see image). Following a test phase, the SBA product will also be available in self-service. MediaMarktSaturn is marketing both products in cooperation with Criteo.

"For some time now, brands have been able to successfully run lower funnel campaigns with Sponsored Product Ads (SPA) to increase their sales on MediaMarktSaturn's websites. We are very proud to extend our partnership with MediaMarktSaturn with the launch of Sponsored Brand Ads (SBA). This display ad format combines branding and awareness elements with product images, enabling brands to activate awareness and branding campaigns on the retailer's sites. Brands and their agency partners can now run full funnel campaigns from a single platform and through their preferred booking channel, and track the impact of both formats together in a closed-loop attribution," said Sander Mes, Managing Director for Central Europe & MEA Enterprise at Criteo.

In addition, MediaMarktSaturn offers its partners detailed reports to give them a precise insight into the customer journeys. The fourth product is A+ Content, which is available in nine out of eleven countries. This allows partners to create even more exclusive and targeted product detail pages.

But this is just the beginning, Torsten Ahlers is already pointing the way forward: "With our four available retail media products, which we have rolled out in almost all countries, we have created a strong foundation and an attractive offering for our partners. Now we need to focus on other areas, such as Audience Extension, which we will continue to expand and standardize to define relevant audiences for advertisers based on our site visitors' data. In the future, we will also increasingly leverage our strengths as an omnichannel platform in retail media and offer our advertisers the opportunity to increase awareness of their brands and products directly at the POS through in-store advertising. We also see further economies of scale within the company, such as being able to offer our Retail Media products to our Marketplace sellers."

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Experience technology more sustainably: MediaMarktSaturn tests pop-up store in Tübingen on the subject of sustainability

MediaMarktSaturn

Experience technology more sustainably: MediaMarktSaturn tests pop-up store in Tübingen on the subject of sustainability

How do sustainability and technology products go together? MediaMarktSaturn is resolving this apparent contradiction and opening its first pop-up store in Tübingen's city center on May 2, 2024. The concept store combines the topics of marketplace, sustainable product range and refurbishment and brings them from the online world to the sales floor for the first time.

Ingolstadt, May 02, 2024

Europe's largest electronics retailer is setting an example with the opening of its first pop-up store in Germany dedicated to sustainability on May 2, 2024. In the centrally located boutique in the heart of Tübingen, customers will find a portfolio of particularly sustainable products, which the retailer identifies with its own BetterWay logo, refurbished electrical appliances and sustainable offers that can otherwise only be found on the online marketplace.

"In line with the 'Experience Electronics' strategy, our new pop-up store is the ideal opportunity to show customers live and in color what we offer in terms of sustainability. At the same time, we want to gain new experience of how we can integrate the online marketplace with its products and sellers into our stores", explains Hubert Kluske, COO MediaMarktSaturn Germany.    

The new store concept is part of the omnichannel strategy that MediaMarkt-Saturn is pursuing on its way from a pure product seller to an integrated solution provider. The Marketplace plays an important strategic role in improving the company's profitability, concentrating its own core range on selected growth areas and offering customers an even more extensive product range at the same time. The pop-up store brings the previous online-only offering to the physical sales area and provides sellers with a new presentation platform. 

Sustainable product range and lots of advice

In the pop-up store, customers can find offers from various product groups such as smartphones/tablets/smartwatches and e-mobility. For better orientation, MediaMarktSaturn labels particularly sustainable products with its own BetterWay logo. The company adheres to the criteria of independent testing organizations such as the Blue Angel, EPEAT and TÜV Rheinland and has also defined its own criteria. So-called refurbished devices, which are professionally refurbished and reconditioned, can also be purchased. 

MediaMarktSaturn's own purchase service also offers customers in the pop-up store the opportunity to simply exchange used electrical goods for gift cards. In cooperation with the provider Foxway, the devices are refurbished or repaired and any existing data is deleted. This means they can be resold and given a second life in the spirit of the circular economy.

The employees in the store are specially trained in sustainability and can also inform customers about opportunities to get involved in local sustainability projects on request.

Pioneering work in green Tübingen

When it came to choosing a location for the store, the decision was quickly made in favor of the environmentally conscious, tech-savvy university city of Tübingen. Centrally located in the city center, the store is easy to reach even without a car - in keeping with the concept of sustainability. The sustainable approach is also stringently pursued in the store design: Everything from the previous store infrastructure to the existing furniture in the store space used will be reused for the store. 

The concept is also to be launched in other cities in Germany. Further information on the MediaMarktSaturn BetterWay initiative can be found here.

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On course for growth: MediaMarktSaturn successfully rolls out Marketplace in the Netherlands

MediaMarktSaturn

On course for growth: MediaMarktSaturn successfully rolls out Marketplace in the Netherlands

March 5 saw the launch of the Marketplace in the Netherlands, which is now online in its fourth country after Germany, Spain and Austria. MediaMarktSaturn is thus successfully expanding its Marketplace strategy. Around 1,300 sellers with more than 1.8 million products are currently represented on MediaMarktSaturn's Marketplace across the Group. The next step will be the launch of the Marketplace in Italy this year, with other countries following step by step.

The Marketplace is an important factor for MediaMarktSaturn in expanding its core assortment and offering its customers an even more extensive assortment. At the same time, the company wants to further improve its profitability through the additional sales channel. By the end of the 2025/26 financial year, the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of the Marketplace is expected to amount to 750 million euros. After EUR 65 million in the 2021/22 financial year, the Marketplace's GMV amounted to EUR 137 million at the end of 2022/23. As a country with a strong online affinity, the Netherlands is another important building block in achieving the target set.

The focus of the Marketplace products is on expanding the core assortment, which is sold directly via MediaMarktSaturn in over 1,000 stores or in the MediaMarkt or Saturn online stores. In addition, MediaMarktSaturn is further expanding its product portfolio on the Marketplace in areas such as gaming, fitness, health, e-mobility, refurbished products, trend products and seasonal products. The availability of goods will also be further improved with the Marketplace: if a particular product is temporarily not available in MediaMarktSaturn's core assortment, the online store will automatically refer to the matching product in the Marketplace.

"The launch of the Marketplace in the Netherlands as the fourth country after Germany, Spain and Austria is an important step in our omnichannel platform strategy. In the Netherlands in particular, we are seeing above-average online demand from customers compared to other countries - the Marketplace has great growth potential here and fits perfectly into our strategy, which focuses on the customer and their needs," explains Christian Kollesch, Director International Marketplace at MediaMarktSaturn.

Customers can rely on the high-quality standards of MediaMarktSaturn as the market leader for consumer electronics in Europe for the products and processes on the Marketplace. Sellers are intensively checked by the Marketplace team and it is ensured that the specified quality standards are met. For the roll-out in the Netherlands, additional new Marketplace sellers from the Netherlands were also added, who can also guarantee 'next-day delivery'.

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MediaMarktSaturn ignites the GenAI turbo

MediaMarktSaturn

MediaMarktSaturn ignites the GenAI turbo

Generative AI is on everyone's lips, in the news, on social media and now also freely accessible to everyone on the web. Some see it as a revolution in the way we will work, live and interact with each other. Others are skeptical and still see many unanswered questions.

  

We at MediaMarktSaturn are convinced that companies and employees who can meaningfully integrate GenAI into their work will have a clear advantage over those who do not.
Henny Steiniger, VP Service, Customer Experience (CX), Care & Loyalty at MediaMarktSaturn

That's why we started implementing artificial intelligence some time ago. For example, with our chat bot Emmi on our websites, which we have trained so that it can answer simple customer inquiries about opening hours or product information. Another field is the creation of product texts using artificial intelligence. By entering the available information, pre-formulated texts with descriptions and product data can be created for the corresponding product detail page on our website.

We are now starting the next level in the field of artificial intelligence: MediaMarktSaturn will implement the first internal tools for employees based on generative AI in 2024 - further applications will then follow step by step, including in the interface with our customers.
Stephan Lange, VP Engineering Marketing & Commercial at MMS Technology

In an initial idea and implementation phase, the company's internal GenAI project group developed initial pilots for previously selected use cases with colleagues from the business and from MMS Technology as well as other partners consisting of Accenture, Accesa, Google, Microsoft and Parloa. 

We always see the use of Generative AI in interaction with people - customers and, above all, our employees. Generative AI will support our employees in making better and faster decisions. It will not replace employees.

 

"Work-AI-Balance"? The useful helper for everyday working life.

We want to support our employees in expanding their knowledge of generative AI and building up new knowledge. We offer training courses ranging from initial onboarding to in-depth specialist knowledge of Generative AI. 

We also offer a curated library that provides quick access to inspiration and knowledge. And we provide our employees with an internal platform with corresponding generative AI applications that they can use for their daily work in a secure, corporate-approved environment. As a first step, we are implementing the AI Enabler Platform and the GenAI Sandbox, followed by the "42", a Digital Workplace assistant.

GenAI Sandbox

The aim is to provide employees with an AI-based knowledge management tool that enables them to find the information they need more quickly and efficiently. For the pilot project, a chat assistant will collect and process relevant information from Sharepoint (our intranet) and other connected information sources in the company and output it in a way that is tailored to the employees' questions.

 

"42" by Digital Workplace

The idea behind "42" is to act as a central entry point to all services offered by Digital Workplace. Powered by GPT-4, it can take actions and answer questions about internal knowledge coming from Sharepoint (our Intranet), or our IT ticketing system knowledge base, as well as general knowledge, and by connecting to several internal systems it can also book calendar appointments, holidays, open tickets on the user’s behalf and much more.

 

AI Enabler Platform

The scalable AI Enabler Platform based on the sandbox is the basis for implementing various LLMs as prefabricated models with data protection-compliant requirements and corresponding access management in the company system. This ensures that new AI projects are implemented quickly, cost-effectively and with the necessary requirements.

 

 

How can I help you?

We also see great potential in contact with our customers to make certain processes even more efficient and solution-oriented or even to create new experiences. Longer waiting times for a free call center employee at peak times are now a thing of the past, as are language barriers. Old-fashioned operating instructions in handout format come to life and are interactively controlled by the person seeking help. Generative AI has the potential to improve many tasks, activities and processes for customers, to make them simpler and more convenient and, on the other hand, to optimize business processes or relieve our employees of smaller standard tasks.

Customer Care Bot (chat and voice bot)

We combine our existing bot "Emmi" with an LLM (Large Language Model) and enable the bot to interact more fluidly and smoothly with customers. The aim is to integrate a generative AI-based customer care bot as a chat and voice bot. The bots should be able to answer FAQ-related questions.
 

 

 

 

 

SEO-optimized Content Creation

AI can be used to deliver automatically generated content that contains the tone of voice of industry partners and is optimized for keywords. Content must be adaptable in terms of tone of voice and emotional appeal. The first pilot will be able to process PDP content, headlines and keywords.
 

 

 

Interactive Instruction Manual

With the interactive instructions, potential problems and sources of error can be identified and rectified at an early stage. Customers can interact in their own language by describing their problem to the bot. The bot responds in the customer's language. Additional potential: Digitalization allows problems and specific questions to be collected and resolved in future before they occur. Additional services can also be offered to prevent such obstacles from arising in the future.
 

 

Sales Assistant Bot

The Sales Assistant Bot can provide product advice and recommendations in our online store or in the brick-and-mortar store. It is implemented as a chat or voice bot in combination with a human-like avatar. An initial pilot is expected to be available to employees at our head office for initial tests.
 

 

 

 

(Live) Translation

The AI can translate content into different languages, adapt it to the country-specific use case and keywords and modify it to avoid duplicate content. Translation is primarily used for customer-oriented content, documents and services. Another area of application is the real-time translation of customer inquiries in call centers, which is expected to be used in an initial test phase in the Netherlands at the beginning of 2024. Both the customer and the employees in the call center will receive the conversation translated by the AI into their respective national language, sometimes even with regional accents. 
 

The Future is... GenAI?!

The first phase of implementing the GenAI projects has started. The applications are being continuously optimized and initial successes and added value are quickly becoming apparent. But this was just the starting signal for a whole series of further Generative AI projects. In the first phase, we were already able to collect over 100 ideas that have the potential to be implemented as a separate project.

And there are more and more every day: from the wealth of ideas of around 50,000 internationally active colleagues at MediaMarktSaturn, from the exchange with partners and the further development of existing applications, we will work every day to implement and establish generative AI applications at MediaMarktSaturn. Let's Go!

 

 

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Sustainable aid directly in the earthquake area: MediaMarktSaturn supports mobile education trucks in Turkey

MediaMarktSaturn

Sustainable aid directly in the earthquake area: MediaMarktSaturn supports mobile education trucks in Turkey

In February 2023, an earthquake destroyed large parts of south-eastern Turkey. MediaMarktSaturn and the Turkish subsidary responded immediately and sent first relief supplies by truck to the affected regions. MediaMarktSaturn decided to expand its aid there on a sustainable basis.

To do this, the company entered into a partnership with TEGV (Turkey Education Volunteers Foundation). TEGV is one of the best-known NGOs that are experts in providing various educational programs for children in need, especially in disaster areas. They have their own program with mobile education units called "Fireflies". In the second half of 2023 MediaMarktSaturn expanded these mobile educational units for children with four themed MediaMarkt trucks and various learning modules in the areas of informatics, art and creativity. The support is planned over four years, the company aims to reach more than 24.000 children, and it includes the trucks as well as all the necessary technical equipment, aids and the educational program. 

“It is important to us to be directly and sustainably involved in our social commitments and donations - both on the company side and in the many campaigns initiated by our employees. We are therefore very happy that we can now further expand our support there,” says Karsten Wildberger, CEO of MediaMarktSaturn.

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Michael Stengl
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