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Saturn devient media market“A third store will open in Luxembourg”
Forget Saturn, the two stores in Belval and Luxembourg will be renamed Mediamarkt, the other chain specializing in electronics and household appliances within the group. Passing through Luxembourg, its CEO Remko Rijnders answered questions from The essential.
Remko Rijnders is the patron of the Mediamarkt.
Media market
The bottom line: So this is the end of the “Saturn” denomination in Luxembourg…
Remko Rijnders, General Managing Director of Mediamarkt: Yes, almost! We have started the “rebranding” in the two stores in Belval and the capital. Why this change? The two brands had different identities, with Mediamarkt known for its excellent price positioning and Saturn more for customer experience and branding. In the end, we found that the two brands were intended to get closer on these two aspects.
This strategy therefore does not only concern Luxembourg…
We are an international group. Germany is our biggest market and Saturn has a strong presence there. This is why we keep the two entities there. For the Netherlands and Belgium, it makes more sense to focus our efforts on one brand. Luxembourg aims to integrate into a “Benelux” cluster. It is also for this reason that “rebranding” makes sense in the Grand Duchy.
Aren’t you worried about losing some of the customers accustomed to Saturn?
There is always a risk, but we have taken it into account. We know that many people do not know Mediamarkt in Luxembourg. But we also know that our employees will make the difference. The customer experience will be the same as with Saturn, or even better thanks to the Mediamarkt model.
What to expect in terms of novelties?
The marketing strategy in particular. Customers will discover redesigned, more modern stores, new lights, red instead of blue. And employees will be trained to respond to this transformation. The great novelty is also the website, an important development considering the development of online purchases. In terms of products and prices, on the other hand, we should not expect major changes.
Is a move of the two stores planned?
No, but we are going to reduce the size of the Belval store, so that customers can find their way around more easily. We are also looking for a location to set up a third store in the north of the country. It’s hard to say when it will be able to open, because we haven’t found the ideal place yet…
Are you suffering from the raw materials crisis?
Yes, not all products are available as quickly as we would like. But it is improving and we are doing our best to meet the demand. It is a very difficult period, even if it is above all the people in Ukraine who are suffering from this war. After the confinements, the energy crisis and inflation are a new test.