Shopping experience at MediaMarktSaturn
How technology can be experienced through different store formats
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.
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.
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.
LinkedIn posts about Xpress openings
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.
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.
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.
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.
