With its new online shop, Media Markt is, for the first time, offering customers the opportunity to shop wherever they want. This means that customers not only have the option of purchasing their consumer electronics products directly at a conventional store but also ordering them via the Internet. Products ordered online can either be delivered to a customer’s home, or they can be picked up at a local Media Markt store - normally the very same day. The bricks-and-mortar stores offer customers the opportunity to buy accessories for their online purchase, exchange products bought online or obtain additional information about an item. If desired, customers can also take advantage of various service packages such as, for example, installation or instruction on using a product. “This means that Media Markt currently offers its customers 244 multichannel stores in Germany with approximately 15,000 employees who are happy to advise customers regardless of which channel they want to use to make their purchases. That makes us inimitable and unique”, said Mr. Norberg. “We are already Germany’s Number One in fixed-location retailing. By aggressively pursuing online activities, we are now entering a new growth phase. The expertise we provide in our bricks-and-mortar stores, combined with the advantages of the online shop, allows us to offer customers true added value from the get-go that none of our pure player competition can match.”
Initial assortment of top sellers
The portfolio of products currently available online covers the product groups new media, TV and home cinema, audio and hi-fi, mobile communications, navigation devices, cameras and video, as well as large and small domestic appliances. The initial assortment comprises the latest top-selling products from the different product groups. It is complemented by an enhanced range of products such as, for example, wine refrigerators, barbecues and grills, and binoculars, which can also be ordered in the stores via long-tail terminals. A total of approximately 2,500 different products are thus available. It is planned that the existing product groups be gradually expanded and that new product groups be added. In addition, customers can order various delivery services from the online shop. For example, the delivery of heavy or bulky items in particular and the disposal of old products at an agreed date can be arranged. Customers can also take advantage of extended services such as, for example, the assembly and installation of televisions or domestic appliances - a service that customers can arrange by telephone or in person with a sales specialist at their local store. The new online shop will also incorporate Media Markt’s existing download shop where approximately 15 million digital offerings from the product groups music, video-on-demand, games, software and e-books are available for immediate download. Payment can be made via direct money transfer, Media Markt gift cards or a variety of different credit cards. Alternatively, customers can also finance their purchases directly online. All payment transactions are optimally secured through the use of certified online payment security systems.
Uniform prices online and in the stores
Media Markt’s online shop means that the company will be able to offer greater price transparency than ever before. To ensure that it can keep its promise of offering low prices each and every day, Media Markt will be keeping a close eye on the prices being offered by its key online competitors. The prices of the products available in the online shop will always be the same as the prices in the local stores. The only extra cost that customers will incur is if they want a product delivered to their home - in this case, a delivery charge will be added. Anyone want to save the delivery charge can pick up the product ordered online at their local store, often the very same day. To make the process of picking up a purchase as easy as possible, customers can check the availability of a particular item at their local store in the online shop and, at the push of a button, obtain information about when the item will be ready for pickup. As soon as the item is available for pickup at the store, the customer is informed via e-mail.
The advantages of collaboration
The launch of its online shop allows Media Markt to accommodate the consumers’ desire for greater flexibility when shopping. “Most customers want to see a product, pick it up in their hands and try it out before they decide to buy it. An increasing number of people are, however, also using the Internet to obtain more detailed information about products, compare prices and order items directly. By offering both options and a uniform pricing policy, we can provide our existing customers with greater advantages while at the same time gaining new customers”, said Mr. Norberg. He believes that the online business and the company’s fixed-location retailing will be mutually beneficial. “Internet shoppers will appreciate being able to go to their local Media Markt store for product advice or a product demonstration, to exchange a product, make a complaint or make use of one of the other services offered. Having a real-life contact person creates trust.”
Continued growth
The launch of its online activities means that Media Markt is well prepared to face the future. The combination of round-the-clock retailing 365 days a year in the Internet and a network of 244 bricks-and-mortar stores throughout Germany is unique in the consumer electronics retail sector. “This, however, in no way means that our corporate growth has reached its limits”, stated Mr. Norberg. “Media Markt will continue to expand the range of products it offers online as well as its network of conventional stores. The year 2012 has only just begun, and we have only just got started.”