Karl's adventure villages: The digital evolution of a strawberry empire
This is how we transferred Karl's unforgettable theme park experience to the digital world
When the tourism industry was confronted with plummeting visitor numbers at the start of the pandemic, the Karl's team turned to Etribes to make their offerings digitally accessible and available for purchase. The result: Rapidly increasing sales through a complete redesign of the online shop including the integration of innovative live shopping functions. Today, e-commerce accounts for around 10% of the more than 150 million euros of their annual turnover.
How a cozy vegetable farm became a compulsory family program with digital standing
Karl's success story begins in a picturesque village in Mecklenburg, not far from today's strawberry headquarters in Rövershagen. In 1921, Karl Dahl, grandfather of the current owner, founded a humble vegetable farm and supplied Rostock's weekly markets with fresh fruit and vegetables twice a week. Over the years, something truly extraordinary has developed from this early period:
Because what started with simple strawberry fields to pick yourself is today a strawberry empire with numerous amusement parks with sales of around 150 million euros. From a souvenir shop with fresh strawberry jam to a rollercoaster in fast strawberry speedsters, everything is included. This wonderful world is like a dream come true — a kind of Disneyland just for strawberries.
But in view of increasing customer demands and an increasingly international range of visitors combined with sales pressure during the pandemic, even the most successful tourism companies felt compelled to react creatively to changing market conditions. One of Karl's approaches: invest more in e-commerce and digital customer experiences. All with the aim of making the unique experience of Karls Erlebnishöfe and their products digitally accessible to visitors, even when they are not physically on site. This is exactly where Etribes was brought in to take existing digital initiatives to a new level.
Be inspired by Karls' success story and start your own path to digital success
After just a few days with our new shop, we were able to achieve increasing sales. We are very happy about the successful collaboration with Etribes and look forward to continuing our journey together.
Robert Dahl
Benefits of digital solutions for tourism companies
Increasing reach
Without an extensive digital presence, adventure villages and amusement parks rely on limited geographical coverage. They are heavily dependent on local visitors or tourists who are in the immediate vicinity. This results in a limited customer base, limited growth potential, and reduced revenue. Making your own offering available and experienced digitally maximizes reach and customer access
Higher flexibility
In times of unforeseen events such as the corona pandemic, those tourism institutions stand out that have ensured digital and omnipresent customer access in good time. They can react more agilely to new circumstances, develop alternative revenue streams, or offer virtual alternatives to keep pace with customer needs.
Stronger customer loyalty
Digitalization enables amusement parks to establish long-term customer loyalty with their visitors. Through personalized communication, online communities, and the ability to receive ongoing information and updates, customers stay connected to the park even when they're not physically present.
With practical experience from founding start-ups, managing companies and more than 250 digital projects, we know how to master digital transformation.
