Karstadt-Kaufhof merger: New Logo, new luck?

In brochures to advertise together Karstadt and Kaufhof - and with a new Logo. In the purchase of houses almost everything as always. Can the success of the merger? Experts are skeptical.

By Friederike Hofmann, WDR

A few on the plate with the new Logo, a poster, a with the new logo decorated the shop window of Who through the Karstadt Department store is walking in the Cologne wide road, from the merger of Karstadt and Kaufhof. Over the entrances to the old Karstadt Logo is attached, it is advertised for the Karstadt customer card, otherwise everything seems the same. In the approximately 800 meters away Kaufhof store, it looks similar.

A prospectus, but two different offers

a Perspective view of the sports area is to be enlarged. Also, catering and food will gain in importance. This was announced on the Intranet of the company. What it is right now, are the first joint and a joint advertising campaign: "together We are Yours."

"The new campaign itself is not bad, but it must be lived," says Martin Fassnacht Marketing and Commerce Professor of WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management. "You have to see in the area. And we must not arouse the customer's expectations." In the common prospectus, there are in addition to uniform Offered to continue to separate for Karstadt and Kaufhof. The make little sense, so Fassnacht.

The old name, Kaufhof and Karstadt and more hidden, from the Kaufhof acquired additional "Galeria" very large - so the new Logo of the Department store group.

New Logo: Not creative, but pragmatic

The common Logo "Galeria, Karstadt, Kaufhof" was unveiled in mid-March - a mixture of the previous company's name and colors. "The new common brand and a common Logo may not be particularly creative, but creativity it is not here," says Fassnacht. To find a new brand and awareness to build cost too much money and time. This was a pragmatic way.

The merger of the former competitors is a mammoth task to total. "Equal companies merge, folding is extremely rare," says Gerrit Heinemann, Professor of business administration, Management and trade at the Niederrhein University of applied Sciences. Questionable is also whether the two companies can ever make enough profit. Both look back on some years of the crisis.

"Amazon is what purchase earlier houses were"

While there are synergies between the companies, the procurement is bundled, for example. But it is the basic question, what is the future of the Department store. "The range is very wide from game on sports nutrition goods to agents. At the same time, it is also very deep, that is to say, there are a lot of choices. This means high costs," WHU-expert Fassnacht.

"Amazon is the, what used to be houses, but with a lower cost." Currently, there are more than 170 Department stores of the group in Germany. "Without any branch closures, it will not go. Can't count", expected barrel night.

In the Department stores, as here in the Cologne Karstadt Department store - has not changed much.

shopping experience of the future?

The question is how the Department stores can be replaced. "The key is whether it is possible to make shopping an experience, for example, with expert advice, a beautiful atmosphere, personal service."

Heinemann sees another way: "Many of the houses have already changed to shopping centers. That is to say: land was rented out to external providers." Thus, rental income could be generated.

customer service separately

the exchange is currently still only at the branch of the respective company. The Michelle Jahn, a lawyer from the consumer Association of NRW see, critically: "The merger of the two Department stores should go without drawbacks for its customers and, if possible, be permeable. This goal seems to be not yet reached, because the customers of a company are not able to turn fully to the other company."

gift vouchers are currently only available at the respective company, and redeemable. The customer programs are not still together. When this will change is still unclear. Of a uniform shopping experience for the customer, it is currently still a whole piece.

More:

Kaufhof thousands of employees, 25.01.2019 Karstadt and Kaufhof dismisses merge, 09.11.2018 Atlas |Germany |Cologne

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