"Our multichannel strategy allows us to keep pace with changing buying patterns", says Pieter August Haas, COO Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH. "Today's customers are increasingly multi-optional, i.e. they want to have the choice of whether to shop online or offline and, if appropriate, enjoy the advantages of both channels. Now, Saturn offers this option." By linking the web shop with the local bricks-and-mortar stores, customers can, for example, purchase products online and have them delivered to their homes or they can pick up the products themselves at their local store the very same day subject to availability and without incurring any delivery charges. In addition to a wide variety of other options, the stores can also handle exchanges, complaints as well as provide advice and other services.
The expanded offering allows the company to create additional points of contact with the customer and thus exploit the potential to increase customer loyalty among existing customers and attract new customers. "With our multichannel approach, we are implementing a sustainable and all-encompassing concept that offers the company enormous opportunities - both for each individual store and for the company as a whole", says Carsten Strese, Managing Director Saturn Management GmbH. In addition, the fact that the decentrally managed stores will share in the profits serves as a guarantee that both channels will profit from each other.
For the launch, a selected range of products - comprising top-selling TVs, computers, mobile telephones, navigation devices, MP3 players, digital cameras, CDs, movies, games, household goods, as well as major and small electrical appliances - can be purchased online. The individual product groups will gradually be expanded and other product groups added. "In the medium and long term, we will be able to offer customers a considerably wider range of products", says Carsten Strese. Complete price transparency for the customer will be ensured by offering the same prices at the local stores and online. As far as pricing is concerned, the company will be guided by the pricing policies of the relevant online competitors for the respective product groups and will continue to offer competitive deals.
"The aim is to expand the trust that the customers place in the Saturn brand with regard to fixed-location retailing to include e-commerce", says Pieter August Haas. By supplementing fixed-location business with an e-commerce platform, Saturn is implementing the greatest change in the history of the company in its anniversary year - the launch is scheduled for 10 October 2011 on
www.saturn.de.