About Kassenzone
E-commerce is a topic close to the heart of Etribes managing director Karo Junker de Neui. That's why Kassenzone podcast host Alexander Graf didn't have to ask twice whether she would like to regularly take over the most successful German podcast on e-commerce and digitization for individual episodes. Every week, CEOs from retailers, brands and manufacturers talk about their unique business models and e-commerce strategies. In “Kassenzone with Karo,” Karo would like to take a look at the future in particular and discuss upcoming macro trends and changes under the motto “E-Commerce 2030.”
intro
Dr. Christian Maaß, CDO & Managing Director of Thomann, is a guest in episode K#507. With a turnover of 1.3 billion euros, Thomann is the leading music house in Europe and continues to record constant growth. Long-time box office listeners remember the Thomann episode from 2020. Podcast Host Karo would like to know in conversation what has happened since then, what the company's success drivers are and how things will continue in the future with the successful music retailer. The two talk about why Thomann is still refraining from using a platform strategy, which marketing channels are being used to acquire customers, what influence demographic change could have on market demand and what role the physical store in Treppendorf plays in the music retailer's excellent advice.
For more than 70 years and now in over 140 countries, Thomann has been advising musicians on the purchase of instruments and lighting and sound technology. 98% of the business is already carried out online and it was all the more impressive for Karo to hear in the podcast how Thomann addresses the very individual inquiries and inquiries with detailed advice from experts. For Thomann, the demand for first-class advice is also the main reason why they continue to stick to a platform model, because first-party data helps the company immensely to understand the consulting-intensive products and their users even better and thus also to optimize consulting services. In addition to customer focus, Karo and Dr. Christian Maaß talk in detail about the company's marketing strategy, which is largely based on content marketing in various forms. As in previous checkout episodes, Karo would also like to know from her guest what role her future hypotheses around re-commerce, AI and retail media play for Thomann's business model.
Overview
0:00:08 Introduction and presentation of the interlocutor Christian Maaß from Thomann.
0:03:24 Brief explanation about Thomann and its development.
0:07:33 Quality tools and expertise in the product category
0:09:44 Difficult market situation in e-commerce
0:12:08 Why they decided against the platform model
0:14:31 Musical instrument market and demographic effect
0:16:43 Flagship store as an emotional experience for musicians
0:19:06 Flexible working concept in retail stores
0:20:54 Importance of Christmas shopping and Black Week
0:24:53 Thomann's Reputation and Branding
0:27:23 Marketing and team structure of the company
0:36:57 Sustainability and used instruments
0:39:44 Growth steps and differentiation of the business model
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