With more than 50 exhibiting industry and service partners, around 80 workshops and many new impulses, the fifth ElectronicPartner Congress provided a platform for knowledge transfer, networking and open dialogue. Around 900 participants benefited over two days from this comprehensive programme at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Düsseldorf-Neuss.
New themed lounge, diverse workshops, atmospheric congress finale
The new themed lounge offered all visitors a meeting point for in-depth exchange on marketing and e-commerce topics, HR matters and energy solutions within the WENDEpunkt company. Also new was the presence of the newly established ServiceNetwork with its five partners Aswo, Elektronik Service Küsters, Krix Academy, repartly and Weyrauch Repair. The specialists also pooled their expertise in a joint workshop, providing practical approaches to repair services. Gardy Kanzian, Head of RepairServices at ElectronicPartner, emphasises: “Repair is no longer a niche topic, but a strategically important component of sustainable business models. At the same time, it is a highly complex issue, both in terms of practical and legal implementation. That’s where we come in!” Additional workshops covered a broad spectrum of the industry – from TV, audio and white goods through to service concepts.
The traditional closing event of the congress took place on Saturday evening. First, the Chairman of the Administrative Board of ElectronicPartner, Professor Stefan Feuerstein, addressed the guests. He promised continued support from the Administrative Board and emphasised its trusting cooperation with the new Executive Board. This was followed by updates from the three board members on current developments within the group and its strategic realignment. The festive finale was the Mallorca-themed gala party “Kongress Olé”, featuring artists Anna-Maria Zimmermann, Achim Petry & Band, Tim Toupet, Druckluft, Bierkapitän and DJ Andy Luxx.
Strategic transformation in focus: from caterpillar to butterfly
In terms of content, the congress was marked by a fundamental shift in perspective. The central message was that specialist retail can no longer focus solely on optimising existing structures. “In recent years, we have optimised the caterpillar – but that is no longer enough,” explained ElectronicPartner Executive Board member Matthias Assmann. Instead, the aim is to evolve in a tangible and visible way. “We must – figuratively speaking – become a ‘butterfly’ and thus enable the transformation of the retail cooperative into an even stronger, more interconnected system,” he continued.
Following the realignment launched in January, ElectronicPartner is increasingly positioning itself as a provider of end-to-end solutions, placing service, expertise and consistent customer focus at the centre. “With our realignment, we are creating the foundation for sustainable growth. We empower our members to benefit from one another and, more than ever before, from us as the central organisation, enabling them to position themselves in the market with clear, solution-oriented offerings,” emphasises Greta Ziob, Member of the Executive Board of ElectronicPartner. This can only succeed if the entire organism of the cooperative transforms – from the headquarters to the members and through to industry partners.
To this end, ElectronicPartner is specifically realigning its brand concept, marketing activities, as well as platform, ordering and logistics processes. At the same time, the cooperative is consistently aligning its offerings and communication towards an integrated, solution-oriented customer experience – irrespective of traditional online or offline boundaries. “Implementation takes place within a strong, partnership-based network of members and suppliers, founded on shared principles, clear positioning and commitment,” explains Patrick van Tent, who has been a member of the ElectronicPartner Executive Board since March 2026. At the same time, the cooperative is sharpening its brand guidelines and promoting a consistent brand experience to ensure the balance between entrepreneurial freedom and necessary uniformity.
Combining strengths for a strong cooperative
At the end of the ElectronicPartner Congress, the Executive Board jointly issued a clear appeal to all members and industry partners: “Our future lies in our collective strength. All stakeholders – members, employees, partners – must turn our cooperative into a strong alliance. Only then can we fully benefit from our own structure by pooling the expertise of all stakeholders to offer customers holistic solutions that go beyond the capabilities of any individual,” summarised Matthias Assmann on behalf of the entire Executive Board.
