Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH
 | |
| GmbH | |
| Industry | consumer electronics retailing |
| Headquarters | Ingolstadt, Germany |
Number of locations | 1000 stores in 15 countries |
Key people |
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| Services |
Brand name articles in the areas: consumer electronics, electrical household appliances, entertainment, new media, photo/video, office and telecommunications; digital content |
| Revenue | €21.0 billion (2013)[1] |
Number of employees | 65,000 (2014)[2] |
| Parent | Metro AG |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | media-saturn.com |
The Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH (MSH) is a German holding company and the leading consumer electronics retailer in Europe with headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. The Group operates almost 1000 stores and offers online shopping in 15 countries in Europe. In the business year 2013/14, Media-Saturn generated revenues of 21 billion euros. The Group currently provides employment for approximately 65,000 people from 129 nations. MSH unifies the three independent brands Media Markt, Saturn and redcoon under one roof.
Management
Media-Saturn-Holding has six chief executives. Pieter August Haas, Wolfgang Kirsch, Joachim Roesges, Oliver Seidl, Ralph Spangenberg and Sergio Klaus-Peter Voigt head up the corporate Group.
Three-Retail-Brand Strategy
Following the consistent three-retail-brand strategy of Media-Saturn the Media Markt stores, the Saturn stores and the Internet pure player redcoon operate independently on the market, competing directly with one another. Every Media Markt and Saturn store is an independent company in which the manager of the store holds a share of up to ten percent. The managers of the individual stores decide on their local advertising needs, the product portfolio and personnel planning. This allows them to respond flexibly to the needs of their own particular customers.
Multi-Channel-Concept
Media Markt and Saturn’s bricks-and-mortar stores are closely linked to the companies‘ online businesses. Online shops are present in Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany.
Due to a significant change in buying behaviour Media-Saturn decided to reinvent consumer electronics retailing and wants to set new standards for multichannel.[3]
Company history
Saturn
1961: Friedrich Wilhelm and Anni Waffenschmidt opens the first Saturn store on Cologne’s Hansaring. The store, featuring a sales area of 120 sqm, initially caters exclusively to diplomats.
1969: Saturn opens the largest hi-fi stereo system studio in the world. In the same year, the Saturn store opens its doors to the general public.
1972: Saturn’s record department opens and covers 80 square metres (860 sq ft) of sales floor. It features what was then a sensation: a self service format that Friedrich Wilhelm Waffenschmidt imported from the USA.
1975: Saturn offers the largest selection of records in the world. Up to 60,000 vinyl disks exchange hands on a daily basis.
1981: In May, Saturn opens Germany’s largest video specialist store, featuring 25 video cameras and over 100 video recorders ready for demonstration.
1985: The first stores outside of Cologne are opened in Frankfurt and Hanover under the name "Saturn Electro".
Media-Markt
1979: Walter Gunz, Helga and Erich Kellerhals and Leopold Stiefel open the very first Media Markt store in Munich, Germany.
1987: By the end of the year, there are ten Media Markt stores in Germany with a total net revenue equivalent to 91 million euros.
1988: Kaufhof acquires a majority share of the Media Markt holding company.
1989: The company launches its operations abroad – the first Media Markt store is opened in France.
1990s
1990: Media Markt holding, the future Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH, acquires Saturn-Hansa Handels GmbH and lays the foundation for the two-retail-brand strategy. Media Markt expands to Austria.
1991: Media World is founded in Italy.
1994: The opening of the first Saturn store in Austria marks the start of international expansion of the Saturn brand. Media Markt launches operations in Switzerland.
1995: Media Markt creates one of the best-known advertising slogans in history: “Ich bin doch nicht blöd.” (“I’m no fool.”).
1996: A number of German retailing companies join together to form METRO AG. The Düsseldorf-based group holds a majority stake in Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH.
1997: Media Markt opens its first store in Hungary
1998: Media Markt opens its 100th store in Germany. The retail brand also expands into Poland.
1999: Expansion in Europe moves forward with Media Markt expanding into Spain and the Netherlands and Saturn debuting in France. The Group takes over the Italian Media World stores.
2000s
2000: The first Media Markt store is opened in Amsterdam, making it the Group’s 300th consumer electronics store. Together the two retail brands are present in nine countries by the end of the year.
2001: The Saturn store in Hamburg’s Mönckebergstraße is extended to cover a sales area of 18,000 sqm, making it the world largest consumer electronics store. The first Saturn store is opened in Italy.
2002: Saturn captures the prevailing zeitgeist with its “Geiz ist geil!” (“stinginess is cool”) advertising campaign. This year also marks entry into a new market with Media Markt opening its first store in Belgium.
2003: On Germany’s Reunification Day holiday, Saturn and its partners make Udo Lindenberg’s hit “Sonderzug nach Pankow” reality.
2004: Saturn opens its 100th store in Germany and launches operations in Poland and Hungary. Media Markt enters the market in Portugal. The Corporate Group opens its 500th consumer electronics store.
2005: Media Markt opens its 200th store in Germany and its first store in Greece. Saturn expands into Spain.
2006: In Stockholm, Media Markt opens the first store in Sweden. The retail brand also celebrates a double opening in the Russian capital, Moscow. Saturn expands into the Netherlands.
2007: Media Markt expands into Turkey and Saturn into Belgium.
2008: The first Saturn stores are opened in Greece and Luxembourg. Together the two retail brands Media Markt and Saturn are operating stores in more than 700 different locations.
2009: Media Markt celebrates its 30th anniversary. With a sales floor of 10,000 sqm, the world largest Media Markt store opens in Munich. Saturn opens its first stores in Switzerland and Turkey.
2010s
2010: Saturn debuts in Russia and Media Markt expands into China. Media Markt launches its first online shops in the Netherlands and Austria.
2011: Media-Saturn acquires majority shareholding in the Internet retailer redcoon and launches music streaming service JUKE. Saturn celebrates 50 years and opens its own online shop in Germany.
2012: Media Markt launches its online shop in Germany. The Media-Saturn Group takes over the Russian online retailer 003.ru and acquires a shareholding in re-commerce provider FLIP4NEW.
2013: redcoon celebrates its 10th anniversary, and Media-Saturn increases its share of the company to 100 percent.
2014: Europe’s most advanced Media Markt and Saturn stores open almost simultaneously in Ingolstadt, seat of the corporate HQ.
References
- ↑ "METRO GROUP increases sales 2012 and confirms EBIT guidance" (URL). Metro Group. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ↑ "Media-Saturn – Around the World" (URL). Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH. Retrieved March 2014. Check date values in:
|access-date=(help) - ↑ "Retail innovations at Saturn: Consumer electronics retailer shows what multichannel can now achieve and reinterprets customer service" (URL). Media-Saturn-Holding GmbH. Retrieved 28 October 2014.